Wild Heart
by Sapphire-Raindrop
Summary: Some memories are better left forgotten. Some friendships bring just as much pain as they do joy. Some paths intersect for a time, only to divert without warning or a chance to say goodbye. Kohana Torahiko is about to start on her own path, one that will turn her world upside down and challenge everything she believes to be true. [Rated M for language/descriptions of violence]
1. Prologue: Fate's Wheel

Hello new (and old) readers! **This is a re-write** of my old Inuyasha fic "Bittersweet". As nostalgic as it was re-reading that old geezer, it made me cringe so much that I finally decided the hell with it, and started the re-write. It is much more in line with my current writing style, and Kohana has shifted from an atrocious Mary-Sue into someone I can read without barfing.

I hope you all enjoy, and please review if you want more!

Lots of love,

~Sapphire-Raindrop

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 **WILD HEART**

an "Inuyasha" fanfic  
by Sapphire-Raindrop

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Prologue: Fate's Wheel

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Her name meant 'little flower'. Nobu – her uncle and foster-parent – liked to call Kohana that when he was aiming to get under her skin, which was annoyingly often despite the fact that Nobu was in his late twenties. Even so, she loved the cheeky idiot, because he was the only family she had ever known. She couldn't remember any of her childhood; everything beyond ten years ago was blank.

Kohana Torashiko was almost seventeen years old. She would be lying if she said that losing the first seven years of her life didn't bother her.

Long term memory loss, the doctors said. It seemed logical, since according to Nobu she and her parents had been involved in a nasty car crash. The trauma of her head wound as well as losing both her parents in one fell swoop resulted in her mind simply erasing their existence. Most of the time, she was inclined to believe what the doctors and Nobu told her, because why shouldn't she believe them? They had scans of her _brain_ , they had facts, proof of what had occurred.

Kohana didn't like to think herself as superstitious or witchcrafty, but there were definitely times she questioned the supposed reasons she lost her memory. She couldn't quite explain _why_ the moments of doubt arose, but they did, and she had to beat her suspicions down with a figurative wooden stick before she could attempt normalcy again.

Maybe the doubt was just a byproduct of her bitterness concerning her appearance; Kohana was often mistaken for a girl at least three years younger than her actual age. It didn't help that her body refused to get into gear with the whole 'womany curves' thing. When she looked in the mirror, she saw the skinny form of a budding fourteen or fifteen year old. Boys didn't give her a second glance, and girls sent her pitying looks when they thought she wasn't looking. Little did they know that thanks to Nobu's rigorous training, Kohana was _always_ aware of her surroundings, even when she didn't want to be.

Her best friend – fifteen year old Kagome Higurashi – assured Kohana that she was perfectly normal, but that was more likely than not said to make her feel better. They were practically sisters after all, a relationship that complimented the fact that they lived less than two hundred feet away from each other.

Nobu and Kohana lived in Nobu's dojo, which happened to be on the Higurashi estate, right next to the tourist-aimed Higurashi Shrine. Kohana didn't know all the details, but to the best of her knowledge Nobu had approached Mrs. Higurashi once he gained custody of Kohana ten years ago, and had asked if he could start a traditional dojo to compliment the historical nature of the location. The recently widowed woman readily agreed, and that was where the two of them had lived ever since.

The dojo was a modest size, with an apartment above for the two of them and a basement below to store spare equipment. It had been rough starting out, but now Nobu had a strong group of regular students and near constant offers to expand.

Kohana never asked, but she knew that Nobu didn't consider those offers because of her. He knew how much the Higurashi's meant to her, as well as her stability in their current place, and despite his teasing Nobu always put her needs before his own. She was always grateful for that.

But we're getting off track. This prologue isn't meant to convey the depth of love found between this particular guardian and his charge, nor is it meant to expand upon a graduated high school girl's issues and desires. Both, and more, will be revealed in time.

This is the tale of a girl with a fragmented past, a girl who up until the day of her seventeenth birthday had plans to go to a local university and continue her training with Nobu. She wanted to go into security; perhaps get a job in the government as a private guard of some sort.

We both know that those plans never bore fruit, because if they had, this story would have been about _that_ instead. We would have been privy to an alternate Kohana's excitement about joining a fighting club on her university's campus. We could have gotten better acquainted with the struggles that came with being a seventeen-year-old high school graduate. This would have been a story with no death, no magic, and certainly no half-demons.

All the "would have beens" and "could have beens" became hazy when Kagome asked if Kohana would take over her afternoon chore of sweeping the old well house so she and her boyfriend Hojo could go to a movie.

They disappeared completely when Kohana said yes, and with that, the wheels of a softly spoken prophecy began to turn.


	2. Chapter 1: Must Be Dreaming

Here's chapter 1! I hope y'all like it, and if you want more...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW**_! =D

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Chapter 1: Must Be Dreaming

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Kohana's readied herself as one of Nobu's newest pupils entered the fighting ring. The others had learned fairly quickly not to judge her based on her size, but this one still had that blissful ignorance that came with being new. It gave him a false sense of security, a smugness that saturated every move he made. Nobu coughed in an attempt to hide his gleeful snicker, a very poor attempt in Kohana's opinion. Then again, Nobu was the sort of teacher that got a kick out of his students embarrassing themselves. Kohana could speak from experience, as his niece and first student.

The woven mats that made up the dojo's floor were smooth and familiar under Kohana's bare feet. The salty sweet tang of sweat and straw filled her nose, along with the sharp scent of deodorant. Her opponent was a tall, muscular boy of about eighteen, much larger than Kohana was. But he was slow; she had seen that when she watched him fight earlier that morning.

Kohana was tempted to underestimate him, but forced herself to keep her guard up. She had learned early on that attitude wasn't everything when it came to fighting. Some of the cockiest people were the most skilled, while the quiet, self-assured ones were just as often among the most inexperienced. Appearances were _never_ an accurate measure of skill or capability.

The boy's name escaped her, but at that point Kohana couldn't care less. Names were secondary. She had to focus on winning first, and _then_ she could socialize. She and the boy were sparring with wooden staffs in that particular fight, and the smooth wood was warm in her slightly sweaty palms. No matter how much she trained and how hard she worked, Kohana could never truly get her body to get rid of that little spark of intense anxiousness that arose whenever she fought. She enjoyed fighting, but in the back of her mind a little voice constantly told her to turn and hide. Nobu assured her that it would get better in time, that it was completely natural, but Kohana wasn't always comforted by his words. Perhaps it was because he never met her eye when he said it.

Was he just trying to make her feel better?

The tall boy moved forward and Kohana met his strike with one of her own, smirking when his eyes widened. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she looked forward to the moment when her opponents realized that she was more than she appeared. Call it vain, but she enjoyed the awe and newfound admiration in their eyes after she wiped the floor with them. Some were bitter, but most of Nobu's students were more mature than their peers – he personally selected all of his students, and was known in Tokyo for being especially picky.

In this particular fight, Kohana recognized her small stature as an advantage, and ducked down to roll between his legs – which were spread in a stable fighting stance. He wasn't expecting it, and so her next strike hit him squarely on the lower back, forcing him to stagger forward. Kohana had to lean back to avoid his next swing, the end of the staff almost grazing her collarbone.

He was good, but Kohana had been training for the past ten years, ever since she could remember. Fighting was as much her element as the stage was to a dancer.

The fight ended a few minutes later with Kohana's staff aimed at the boy's throat. He had fought well, and so Kohana smiled before offering him her hand. He took it, and both of them stood at attention as Nobu gave them both notes on their performance. Kohana, as always, needed to work on her offensive, but Kohana knew that already. She scowled to herself at Nobu's intense stare, and knew that he would be having words with her later.

Kohana was used to him being tough on her, but it still stung when she didn't meet his expectations. Not that she was exactly sure what those expectations were…but she did know that he was always expecting more of her than the others. She was happy for the motivation, but sometimes the constant pressure was grating. She was already the best student in the dojo, wasn't that enough?

She had graduated high school just yesterday, a full year earlier than her peers, and yet there she was, training as if none of that had happened. Her birthday was today, and he hadn't even said a word, which was unlike him.

Kohana lifted her head to glare at Nobu when his back was turned. You'd think that Nobu would be proud of her, at least enough to give her a day off. But nope, apparently that was a hopeless fantasy.

Nobu glanced at his watch, and announced that the lesson was done for the day. The students bowed before collecting their stuff, laughing and joking as they did so. Kohana would normally join them, not deterred by the fact that all of Nobu's regular students were male. But that day, her heart wasn't in it, and so she lagged behind, packing up her stuff slowly and without any real enthusiasm.

"Are you gonna keep glaring at me when I'm not looking, Little Flower, or are you gonna spill? You seemed less than your punky self this morning," Nobu commented casually, his back turned to her as he straightened mats and swept the hardwood floors that made up the entryway of the dojo.

"Only when you tell me how and when you grew eyes on the back of your fat head," Kohana grumbled, moving forward to help clean up despite her irritation at being found out. How did he _know_ those things? Kohana prided herself on being sneaky, but Nobu found her out every freaking time. Pranking – a pastime that she enjoyed immensely – had gone out the window years ago; he was just too good at finding her out and then dishing out terrifying retaliation.

"A magician never reveals his secrets, dummy. You know that," Nobu said lightly, reaching over to flick her on the back of the neck. She swatted at his hands before turning to continue cleaning.

"Whatever."

Nobu came up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders, and the gesture took all the fight out of her. It was a comforting, one that a father might do. Kohana couldn't remember her own father, but the fact that Nobu tried to offer her that same sort of comfort warmed her heart. Nobu was too goofy and playful for Kohana to consider him anything but an older brother or uncle figure, but he did his best.

"You seemed off today, Kohana. What's up?"

Kohana turned to look at him, sighing before glancing out the pristine glass windows. The courtyard was being cleaned by Sota Higurashi, who was doing the task as quickly as he was physically able. His frantic sweeping and arranging put a smile on Kohana's face, but she managed to return her attention to Nobu.

"I'm just…you know that I'm grateful for everything, it's just…sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough for you," she said. She never felt hesitant about telling Nobu the truth, as he always extended the same courtesy to her. He was more blunt than most people she knew, a trait she appreciated and tried her best to emulate.

Nobu snorted and slung an arm around her, pulling her in for a tight hug. That was something most people didn't understand about Nobu. To outsiders who didn't know him well, he was a goofy, but very physically reserved person. It was only with Kohana and the Higurashi family – who had been close to him and Kohana for the last ten years – that he showed his true colors.

"That's just stupid, Kohana. You could never _not_ be good enough. You just graduated high school, for fuck's sake."

Unlike his partiality towards physical affection, Nobu's dirty mouth _was_ common knowledge. He kept it under control around Mrs. Higurashi and Grandpa Higurashi, but with everyone else he didn't bother.

Kohana nodded, feeling silly for letting her insecurities get to her. Nobu pulled back slightly, smirking at her before leaning down to bite her nose. Kohana yanked back, scrubbing at her face and punching Nobu in the shoulder.

"Ew, Nobu, normal people don't bite each others _noses_!"

"Normal is for boring people, shrimp. Anyway, I'm gonna go get some groceries. Don't forget: we have dinner at the Higurashi's tonight."

Kohana's response was to flip him off, and Nobu stuck his tongue out at her before exiting the dojo. Kohana grumbled as she put on her shoes, wiping her hands on her exercise outfit – a pair of capri leggings and a plain black tank top.

Nobu was already across the courtyard when Kohana emerged from the two-story building. After giving Sota a playful poke and a pat on the head, he began walking down the many stairs that led to the main road. Kohana had never seen him drive a car, and liked to think that he didn't know how, which would give her excellent teasing fodder. But she had yet to find evidence that he couldn't, unfortunately.

The Higurashi Shrine roof – made of weathered jade shingles – glinted in the early afternoon sunlight, and Kohana breathed deep, relishing in the warm summer breeze.

"Kohana!" a familiar voice called, and Kohana smiled as she turned to face Kagome Higurashi. Her best friend was dressed in a cute pink sundress, which contrasted against Sota's grubby cleaning clothes – the boy ran over at the sight of Kohana and his sister. Sota was scowling, but smiled despite himself when Kohana grabbed him and spun him around once.

"Hey Kagome! You look cute," Kohana said once she had released Sota, and Kagome smiled widely, twirling in a circle to show off her outfit. Sota crossed his arms over his chest, a scowl returning to his face.

"Why are _you_ leaving? You haven't done your chore yet!"

Kagome rolled her eyes at her younger brother, and Kohana let out a sigh when the girl whipped out her puppy-dog eyes.

"You love me, don't you Kohana?" Kagome asked, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Do I have to answer?" Kohana asked, cackling when Kagome lashed out to try and smack her arm. Riling Kagome up was one of life's small treasures, because not many people got to see the more violent and temperamental side of the fifteen-year-old goody-goody.

"Oh don't you dare pull that with me! You _adore_ me," Kagome seethed, face reddening, and Kohana and Sota exchanged gleeful looks.

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Kohana had to add in, but put her hands up in surrender as Kagome made to start yelling. "Kidding, kidding, you know I do. You want me to do your chore, huh?"

Kagome's furious expression went back to normal frighteningly fast, and Kohana wished she were half as skilled at emotional manipulation. Kagome could play innocent all she wanted, but even as her best friend Kohana couldn't deny that the younger girl was deceptively crafty.

"Pretty, prettyplease? Hojo's taking me out to that movie I've been dying to see, but the only showing is this afternoon! Please, please, _please_?"

Kohana shrugged. "It's just sweeping the old wellhouse, right? That shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Sure, I'll do it. Are you still coming back for dinner?" she asked, ignoring Sota's splutters of indignation behind her.

"Yeah, Mama's making me bring Hojo, so that should be interesting."

Sota slunk off at the first hint of "boyfriend talk", muttering angrily under his breath as he went. Kohana and Kagome watched him go for a second or two.

"Well, you guys _have_ been dating for a while. He's a nice guy, so I wouldn't be too worried," Kohana reassured her, turning back to look her friend in the eye. They were practically the same height, Kagome standing only a tiny bit taller.

Kagome laughed, a bright and lilting sound. She was younger than Kohana by two years, but she had already filled out a lot more. Kohana tried not to feel jealous at the way Kagome's plentiful curves were emphasized by her dress.

Kagome focused on her friend's reply, pushing the jealousy out of her head.

"It's not Hojo I'm worried about, it's Grandpa and Nobu!"

Grandpa was, well, _Grandpa_ , and Nobu was a nightmare disguised with a warm and welcoming grin. The last time one of the girls had brought a boy home – it had been a year ago, when Kohana had introduced Nobu and the Higurashi family to her then-boyfriend Toshi – the two had cornered the poor boy and interrogated him within an inch of his life. Nobu in particular was especially difficult. It was comparable to a good cop and bad cop routine, but with one person playing both roles.

Kohana smiled. "Yeah, but they both mean well. And hell, if Hojo can survive _them_ , then he's one to hold on to. Toshi was scared shitless after I brought him home!" she exclaimed, shaking her head at the memory.

Kagome scoffed as the two girls made their way to the stairs. "He was stupid. You were right to dump him, Hana."

"I like to think so. He's dating Umi now, right?"

Umi was one of Kagome's close friends, and at the mention of the relationship Kagome nodded.

"Uh huh. He's still spineless, so no improvements there. Umi likes to be in control though, so it works for them."

Kohana shrugged, not feeling strongly one way or the other. Toshi had been a good first boyfriend, in retrospect, but Kohana had quickly realized that it wasn't working out. Half the relationship was spent with her trying to get a rise out of him, a result of her being bored out of her skull.

The two of them stopped when they reached the stairs. Kagome hugged her, and made to leave but hesitated. Kohana raised her eyebrows in silent question.

"Are you sure you don't want me to set you up with one of Hojo's friends? There's a few I think you'd really like," Kagome offered, her eyes earnest. Kohana smiled, shaking her head.

"Thanks, Kagome, but I'm fine. I'm not really interested in dating right now, what with planning for university this fall and training with Nobu."

"Okay, then," Kagome relented, not bothering to hide her disappointment. Kohana shooed her with her hands.

"Get going, girl! You've got a hot date!"

Kagome snorted, the somber mood broken as she waved her hand dismissively before turning to walk down the stairs.

"Whatever you say, Hana. I'll see you tonight!"

"I look forward to joining Grandpa and Nobu in the 'is he worthy enough for Kagome' crusade!" Kohana called down to her, grinning when Kagome whirled around in surprise and disbelief.

"You _wouldn't_!"

"Nah, I'd much rather sit back and enjoy the show," Kohana teased, and Kagome rolled her eyes before giving her one final wave. Kohana waved back, and waited until Kagome turned the corner before turning back toward the main property. Sota must have finished cleaning, because he was nowhere to be seen.

The broom was already propped up next to the small, worn down wellhouse, and Kohana wondered – as she often wondered – why the family bothered keeping it intact. It looked older than dirt and less appealing than raw, inky squid. But Grandpa declared its presence crucial to the "feudal aesthetic", and so it remained.

Kohana picked up the broom and slid open the door to the wellhouse, her nose wrinkling at the musty smell. It was swept once a week but still looked dirty no matter how often it was cleaned. There were a few shelves on the walls that held planting pots and other tools – Mama Higurashi maintained her own flower, vegetable, and herb gardens. The well itself was not much too look at it; just a simple wooden structure with a lid covered with traditional demon seals. Grandpa liked to consider himself a monk of sorts, like the ones in the myths, and did all of them himself.

She hadn't ever been all the way inside the wellhouse before, only poking her head in every now and then when Kagome was taking a long time sweeping. She hefted the broom in her hand and made her way down the small set of stairs, humming under her breath.

 **BOOM!**

Kohana shrieked as the lid covering the well suddenly exploded, sending shards of wood flying everywhere. She ducked instinctively, holding the broom close to her chest.

" _GIVE ME THE JEWEL_!" a slithery, raspy voice screamed, and Kohana barely had time to look up – catching a glimpse of a strange woman with a naked chest and a…was that a _centipede_ body? – before a multitude of arms were yanking her down into the well.

Kohana screamed, but it was no use; the moment she entered the well everything was suffused with a blinding purple light. She had to close her eyes for a second, but opened them when she felt a wet tongue on her neck.

"Get the fuck _off_ of me!" she yelled, swinging the handle of her broom to collide sharply with the strange woman's face. But as she did so, a beam of bright pink and blue – the colors were only separate for a split second, quickly meshing together to become lavender – light shot through the wooden structure, shattering it into a thousand pieces. But the light still made contact with the strange centipede woman's face. The woman wailed in pain – a shrill, inhuman sound – before retreating…

…and then Kohana's feet hit the ground so sharply that she staggered unsteadily, throwing out her hands to support herself against the nearest wall. Shards of wood fell around her, the remains of her broom. _Mama is going to kill me_ , was Kohana's only coherent thought as she stared at the remains of the broom. Although Mrs. Higurashi was not Kohana's real mother, she urged Kohana to call her Mama early on in their relationship, and Kohana loved and feared the woman as much as Kagome and Sota did. She was the only mother-figure Kohana could remember, after all.

Kohana looked around, frowning at the sight of bones. Were there supposed to be bones in the well? Kohana had never looked inside before, so she had no idea.

The warm feel of direct sunshine and the sound of birds chirping made her pause in her speculation. Kohana looked up, seeing blue skies instead of the dark roof of the wellhouse.

She was dreaming. It was the only explanation. She had tripped down the stairs and hit her head on the floor of the wellhouse. Her body _did_ feel kind of woozy and floaty, a sure sign of being inside a dream. Her head throbbed when she got to her feet, and she shook it off as another part of the dream. She had been just as aware in dreams before, so she didn't think to panic.

"Okay, let's see what my imagination's come up with _this_ time," Kohana muttered to herself, looking around for a way to get out of the well. She saw some thick, sturdy-looking vines, and used them to pull herself out. It was hard work, and she was breathing hard when she reached the top.

A healthy, vibrant looking meadow stretched in all directions. Huge trees marked the edge of a forest, their leaves fluttering in the breeze. Kohana took a deep breath, surprised that she could still smell clearly. Usually in lucid dreams her senses were seriously warped.

Kohana walked through the grass, looking around in wonder. Her brain had really outdone itself this time. Everything was so sharp and real, from the sunshine to the tickly blades of grass against her bare ankles and calves.

She found herself in a small thicket and pushed through it, ducking her head to avoid the barbed leaves. She reached the other side and froze, because she was staring at the Go-Shin-Boku. It was a bit smaller than the one that Kohana saw every day on her way to the dojo, but one feature in particular alerted her to its identity.

About halfway up the tree was a large oval of unnaturally smooth, pale bark.

Grandpa and Kagome loved to tell Kohana about the history of the Go-Shin-Boku and the Shikon-no-Tama. Legend said that five-hundred years ago, a great priestess sealed a dangerous demon to the Go-Shin-Boku in order to protect the Shikon-no-Tama, a sacred jewel that was powerful beyond measure. Kagome helped Grandpa sell plastic Shikon jewels in the tourism season, and Kohana sometimes helped when Nobu wasn't keeping her busy with leading guides of the dojo and public demonstrations of traditional fighting styles.

Nobu's favorite demonstration to have Kohana participate in was the bow-and-arrow contest, where they compared traditionally designed bows to their modern counterparts. The traditional bow and arrow was one of Kohana's favorite weapons, on par with hand-held daggers. Legends about demons and magical jewels weren't really on the top of Kohana's list when she had _that_ to focus on.

And yet in front of her was the Go-Shin-Boku, and on its trunk was pinned a silver-haired boy.

 _Not exactly a boy_ , Kohana corrected herself when she approached and caught sight of his triangular, furry ears. Dog ears, her mind supplied. Was this how her unconscious mind chose to manifest the demon of the myths? In the form of a human looking boy with long silver hair and dog ears?

"You don't look like a demon. Sorry if that's an insult, but I'm calling it how I see it," Kohana admitted, climbing up on the large roots of the tree until she was less than a foot away.

"Let's be honest, you don't look scary at all, especially with these ears," Kohana said, laughing to herself as she touched the ears in question. They were soft and firm, tapering to delicate points.

His face was young, his mouth curving slightly downward as he slept. He was taller than her by a good deal; the roots put their feet level with each other. The top of Kohana's head just barely reached his shoulders, to her immense displeasure.

"Ugh, even my _brain_ likes to rub in that I'm short," she mumbled, turning and sitting down on a protruding root, staring up at the upper branches of the tree. The boy didn't wake up, despite her desire to see if he truly was as young as he seemed, which was strange. Shouldn't she have control of everything in her dream?

"A demon!" a male voice yelled, startling Kohana so badly that she almost fell out of her seat. Men dressed in simple yamakas surrounded her. They were all dirt smudged and terrified, and Kohana laughed out loud once her feelings of shock settled down.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me. I mean, I guess summer is coming up, so maybe I'm not looking forward to putting on a show for the tourists, but _really_?"

"Silence, demon! Come quietly, and Lady Kaede will purify you quickly!"

Kohana rolled her eyes, but decided that going to the effort of changing things was significantly less amusing. She put up her hands in "surrender", trying not to laugh.

"Okay, bring me to this Lady person. I must have hit my head pretty damn hard…wait, does all this mean I have brain damage?" Kohana asked herself, following the men onto a well-worn path. They formed a loose circle around her, holding their spears threateningly and practically quaking in their boots – a figure of speech, in their case, because all of them were wearing sandals.

A small village came into view, Kohana mentally patted herself on the back for the amount of detail put into the idyllic scenery. Villagers swarmed around them when they entered the low gates, mostly women and children. They all stared at her fearfully, and Kohana heard some of them whispering as she passed.

"Another demon?"

"She could be one of those foxes, I've heard they can trick people into believing they're human…"

An elderly woman emerged from one of the larger huts, and seeing her sent a jolt of something through Kohana's mind. It wasn't a memory exactly, but it was something. Kohana frowned, not liking the sensation, liking it even less when the woman's eyes widened in clear recognition.

"Kikyo?" she breathed, her voice cracked with age but in that moment containing the hesitant plea of a child. Kohana took a step back, glancing around and feeling a distinct uneasiness at the silence that had fallen over the village like a blanket. Kikyo? Who was that?

"Um, no, my name is Kohana. And I think it's time I end this dream."

With that, Kohana closed her eyes, trying to jerk herself awake like she usually did when dreams got bad. She opened her eyes to the dark eyes of the old, important looking lady. The villagers were muttering amongst themselves, and Kohana heard "magic" and "crazy" among the hushed words. Kohana's panicked expression must have amused the old woman, because she smiled.

"A dream, eh? Come with me, my dear, and I shall do my best to put an end to your confusion," she said kindly before turning to address the entire village. "There is nothing to fear! She is under my protection, and is no threat."

The woman Kohana assumed was Lady Kaede turned and disappeared into her hut. Kohana felt numb with the amount of disbelief and shock going through her system, but when confronted with the villagers staring at her with unabashed curiosity, she pushed aside the confusion and followed the woman.


	3. Chapter 2: Reincarnation

*emerges from the depths of college/procrastination/life*

I LIIIIIIVVVVEEEE.

It's kind of terrifying to be updating this again, considering that my readers have probably abandoned me and for good reason. But yeah, I read through what I have written so far - all the way up to chapter 5, and EDITED, too! - and decided what the heck, the readers deserve a little more than what I gave them.

I definitely plan on finishing this story someday, because Inuyasha is one of my favorite fandoms and I really want to get into the juicy non-canon stuff I have planned...but it wont be for a couple of years at least. So I'll post what I have over the next week or so!

If you guys want more and are determined to have me update more regularly/get my butt moving on this story again...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

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Chapter 2: Reincarnation

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Lady Kaede had patiently answered all of Kohana's questions and was now watching her carefully. Kohana didn't blame her; she must be quite the sight, all shocked and trembling.

According to this woman's words Kohana had been transported five-hundred years in the past, give or take a few decades. The sleeping half-demon boy—his name was Inuyasha—had been sealed to the tree for fifty years.

She was _hundreds_ of years in the past…back in _actual_ time! Kohana rested her face in her hands, unable to just shrug off that realization. How did normal people react to being thrown back in time without their consent? Oh wait, _normal_ people didn't get sent back in time, how silly of her to forget!

"Are you well, child?"

"No," Kohana replied without missing a beat. Lady Kaede chuckled, a sound that should have been irritating but Kohana found soothing. She wasn't a healer for nothing, Kohana supposed. She probably dealt with panicking people all the time.

"I would not expect you to be, if your story is true. So distant a future…I will not probe you for information regarding that, as it is dangerous to look too far beyond the present moment."

"Sorry, but who is Kikyo?" Kohana asked, remembering their initial meeting. Lady Kaede had seemed so shocked, almost scared, but not in the way the villagers had been.

The old healer sighed, a sad sound, and stirred the soup. It was cooking in a pot that was suspended over the fire. Soft orange-red light shone from the windows, signifying the arrival of sunset.

"Forgive me for my outburst when we first met, I was surprised by your resemblance to Kikyo, my older sister. She was the priestess who sealed Inuyasha to the Go-Shin-Boku…she died that day."

"I look like her?"

"Yes, but upon further inspection the differences become more obvious. Your eyes, for one, and the fact that you are smaller in stature. But even so, the resemblance is still uncanny. She had the same hair, though hers was much longer." Lady Kaede said.

Kohana lifted a hand to touch her slightly wavy black hair. She had started keeping it short a few years ago, finding that long hair got in the way and was a hassle to care for. And so she had chopped it off, keeping it slightly longer than chin-length ever since.

As for the eyes? If it was one thing Kohana loved about how she looked, it was her eyes.

Her eyes were a bright blue color, so vivid that people often asked if she wore colored contacts. Nobu told her that her father had the same eyes, and that made her love her eyes even more. Even if she didn't remember her father or mother, at least she had bits of them to remind her that she was theirs. She looked like her mother except for the eyes—she had her father's eyes. It wasn't much, but she had those things, along with the stories Nobu told her.

"I didn't think reincarnation existed," Kohana said quietly. Lady Kaede shrugged.

"Nothing is certain in this world," the woman declared. "It is said that the more spiritual energy a being has, the more likely their soul will be reincarnated. Kikyo was one of the most powerful priestesses of her time, and so it is very possible that her soul was strong enough to return. I cannot say for certain, however. I believe it to be true, because beyond your appearance I sense great power within you. It could be…but no, that is mere speculation. Let us eat, you must be hungry."

Ignoring Kohana's inquisitive look, the priestess handed the girl a bowl of the thick soup. Once it became clear that no, Lady Kaede was most certainly _not_ planning to explain her cryptic musings, Kohana hesitantly took a sip. The soup was much thicker than she was used to, but other than that it was delicious. She set the bowl down and opened her mouth to ask about possibly returning to her time, but was interrupted by a series of piercing screams. Lady Kaede dropped her bowl and hurried to the reed mat that served as a door. She pulled it back, and what Kohana saw made her blood run cold.

It was the centipede woman from the well, and she was tearing a horse in half with her teeth. Kohana had seen gore in movies, but the reality of seeing a creature of flesh and blood be ripped in two was so different and so _real_.

Kohana could almost _feel_ the rip and crunch as the horse's bones and tendons snapped. The sound and sight of the horse's innards splattering on the ground made her single sip of soup come right back up. Yuck.

Lady Kaede looked back to the sight of Kohana hunched over her own vomit. She didn't even bat an eyelash at the fact that Kohana had thrown up; there was a deeper, darker sort of understanding that shone from her one eye.

"You have it?"

Kohana grimaced as she wiped her mouth. Carefully avoiding the small puddle of bile, she got to her feet, pushing past the woman to look outside.

"She's the one that brought me into the well that took me here, and then this light...but what do we do? It's destroying everything!" Kohana cried, and at the sound of her voice the centipede woman's glowing eyes snapped to her.

" _Give me the jewel_!" the demon screamed shrilly.

Lady Kaede's brow furrowed. "How is this possible? My sister burned it with her body!" the old woman exclaimed. Kohana listened with only half of her attention, the more focused part of her brain observing the centipede demon as she moved to strike their hut.

"No time to speculate!" she yelled, yanking Lady Kaede away from the hut just as the centipede woman's lower body destroyed the door.

"Child, you must escape, the demon wants you and no one else! Go to the well; we must seal her," Lady Kaede commanded.

Kohana nodded without thinking. "Go back to the well I came out of? No problem, I'll meet you there," she promised.

"Take this," Lady Kaede said, thrusting a bow and quiver of arrows at her. It was a traditional bow, and as Kohana turned to run she took a moment to thank whatever gods were in charge that Nobu was a traditional fighter. If she had been trained with a modern bow and arrow, she would have been beyond screwed.

"Hey!" Kohana called out, jumping up and down to draw the demon woman's attention. The demon paused in her devouring of a goat and turned to face Kohana, fangs glistening with blood and bits of flesh. Ugh, that was _so_ gross.

"Cool, got your attention…uh…follow me, ugly!"

Nobu would be ashamed of her lack of originality, but fortunately Kohana had better things to worry about. Like outrunning a huge demon woman with fangs and way too many legs. Yeah, she should focus on living through this, and _then_ she could concentrate on coming up with cleverer insults.

Kohana ran as fast as she could, grateful that she had happened to be working out before falling into that goddamn well. She couldn't imagine running and jumping over logs in a skirt and sandals.

Reaching the forest was both a blessing and a curse. The upside was that the trees provided more of a cover, giving the girl more to put in-between herself and the demon. The downside was that there were no paths, no trails, and there were so many things to trip over as she ran.

Kohana almost lost her bow a few times, nearly tangling it on low hanging branches and bushes. Having her quiver on her shoulder gave her a free hand for when she needed to push aside brush and errant branches.

Finally, Kohana reached the Go-Shin-Boku, meaning that she was nearly at the well. She had outrun the demon enough to give her a moment to breathe. The girl took full advantage, closing her eyes and putting her hands on top of her head as she sucked in as much air as possible. Her labored breathing filled the space, so loud that if the demon _did_ catch up soon, Kohana probably wouldn't hear it coming because of her incessant gasping. With that happy thought in mind, Kohana made a concerted effort to be quieter, taking in slow, deep breaths and keeping a careful watch on her surroundings.

"You've gone and let yourself get soft, Kikyo. Out of breath after being chased by _one_ measly demon _?_ And you cut your hair; it makes you look like a man," a low, raspy voice drawled, and Kohana nearly jumped out of her skin in her haste to turn towards the sound.

It was the dog-eared boy. His eyes were open now, and in the dim light of dusk they were a bright, unnatural gold. His face was significantly less smooth and youthful now that he was awake, deep scowl lines adding several years to her previous assumption of what his age was. So much for him being as childish looking as she was, damn it all to _hell_.

"Great…you're awake. I can see now…why Kikyo…pinned you to that tree. You're an ass," Kohana gasped out. The boy's eyes—Inuyasha's eyes—narrowed with hate.

"Stupid bitch," he snarled.

"Takes one to know one, pal," Kohana tossed back at him, removing her hands from the top of her head and picking up the bow from where she had set it down. She could hear crashing in the trees and turned to Inuyasha, who was staring out into the forest. His nose twitched, and for one brilliant moment he looked like a disgruntled rabbit being given a rotten carrot for dinner.

"Running away doesn't seem like you, Kikyo. You're more pathetic than I remember," he grumbled, and Kohana turned to raise an eyebrow at him. He met her gaze, and his brow furrowed in confusion. Kohana wondered what color eyes Kikyo had possessed, because it was obviously very different from what Kohana had. For some odd reason, this pointed difference pleased her.

Being compared to a dead woman was starting to tip towards the creepy side of the scale, even with the whole "reincarnation" dilemma tossed into the mix. Not to mention a little irritating—but maybe that was because Nobu looked at her like that sometimes, when she said something particularly funny and she could _tell_ that he was seeing her father in her eyes instead of Kohana and it made her feel so _useless_ —

Kohana shut down that train of thought with a toss of her head.

"I've got bigger problems than fixing identity confusion. So stay pinned, shut up, and wish me luck! Got a demon to seal, which will be interesting because I've never _sealed_ anything before!" she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Before Inuyasha had a chance to answer, she hopped off the root and ran for the clearing.

She was nearly there when she heard the crashing stop. Kohana glanced back, wondering what had caused the demon woman to stop. She wanted to stay near the well, but then she remembered Inuyasha. He was still pinned to the tree, and he had no way of freeing himself.

 _Forget him! Think of home, think of sealing….whatever that thing is. Think of…of…_

Kohana tried to think of other things. She really did.

"Fucking _fucker_ ," Kohana hissed after a few tense seconds, turning on her heel and jogging back to the forest edge. She heard the sound of the demon woman's voice and slowed, staying as quiet as possible.

"Look what I have here…a _half-demon_ unable to fight. What a _change_ that must be for you," the centipede woman simpered, sarcasm oozing from every word.

Inuyasha snorted. "I could rip you to shreds with one hand tied behind my back, ya creep."

"I guess we'll never know, will we? Be sure to send the whore priestess my thanks for offering me such an easy meal," the demon hissed, and if Kohana hadn't been watching Inuyasha she would have missed the flash of pain that flitted across his face. But then it was gone and he smirked confidently. His confidence was an act; there was no way for him to release himself and he knew it.

But wait…could _Kohana_ release him? If she was Kikyo's reincarnation, wouldn't that give her the power to undo the spell?

The demon woman slowly started creeping forward, and the predatory movement solidified Kohana's decision. Inuyasha was an ass, but he didn't deserve a death that reduced him to a fish in a barrel. Kohana took a deep breath, remembering Nobu's words:

 _"Take a breath. Don't focus on the bow or even the arrow. Keep your eye on the target, and your body will know what to do. Training is the first step, but in the end it all boils down to trusting yourself."_

She let out the breath she had been holding and drew back an arrow, silent and smooth. She stared at the woman's rib cage, and aimed for the area just below the armpit.

Kohana released the arrow. It landed exactly where she aimed; Nobu would be proud. That is, he would be if she ever managed to get back to her time and he chose to believe her crazy story.

The centipede screamed in agony, her breath hitching and becoming labored as her punctured lung failed to function properly. Inuyasha's head whipped around in her direction, shock painted all over his sharp-featured face. Kohana stepped out into the small clearing, another arrow at the ready.

The demon gasped for breath, her gaze bright and murderous. "You…you insolent pest! I'll make you pay for that!"

Kohana stood her ground, but the demon did something unexpected. Instead of attacking Kohana she lunged for Inuyasha. Kohana gasped, and let another arrow fly, but missed—she hadn't been looking at the woman, she had been looking at Inuyasha.

So she ran. She was close enough to get in between Inuyasha and the woman, and as she ran she snapped one of her arrows to form a shoddy sort of dagger. It was better than nothing.

"Gullible bitch!" the half-demon boy yelled.

Kohana pointedly ignored him, letting the woman grab her with two of her many arms. Kohana then reached up and stabbed the woman in the eye. The centipede demon woman shrieked so loudly that Kohana's ears hurt.

Instead of letting go, as she had hoped for, the demon bent down to clamp her jaws around the left side of girl's ribcage.

Hot, blinding pain filled Kohana's body, and she kept stabbing without purpose, screaming because she had never been hurt like she was being hurt right then and she felt like she was going to _die_!

It was over without warning, and Kohana was dropped into the grass. She touched her side only to find it covered in blood. It was one thing seeing it in pictures and on other people, another when it was one's own blood, one's own _life_ leaking out before their very eyes. The corners of her vision were becoming hazy, and she felt herself slipping.

But harsh words brought her back.

"Get _up_ you idiot! It's just blood; you're not dead yet! Wake up you stupid, _stupid_ bitch!" Inuyasha yelled, and Kohana was irritated into wakefulness. Did he not _see_ the gaping hole in her side?

" _The Shikon works better than I would have ever imagined!_ " a deeper, more menacing voice crooned, and suddenly Kohana felt herself being picked up by a coil of the centipede's body. Inuyasha's chest was firm as she was roughly pressed against it, and Kohana groaned as it put pressure on her wound.

Everything was buzzing, like a hive of bees had been let lose into her fading consciousness. Inuyasha's voice called her back again, the vibrations in his chest right up against her cheek. In the background Kohana could hear Lady Kaede and a few other men, but she forced Inuyasha's voice to become clearer.

"Take the arrow out, I know you can do it. Do it, and I'll destroy this thing."

Kohana stared up at him, hearing Lady Kaede warning her not to, but when he looked down at her she couldn't help but wonder if he really was as evil as the people claimed him to be.

She may not like Inuyasha, but she was running out of options and they would _all_ die if she did nothing.

Kohana took a shallow breath and reached up to the arrow. The wood felt strangely hot under her hands, and there it was again, that familiar feeling, the same one that she had felt when she met Lady Kaede for the first time.

She had held this arrow before, in another lifetime, in another soul altogether. The heat remained, and within it pulsed betrayal, pain, and rage. For a moment, she was tempted to push it deeper into his chest, to kill him once and for all.

The foreign temptation caused her to pause. Where had _that_ come from?

They both groaned as the coils' pressure increased—they were squeezing slowly, to draw out the pain and eventual death. The villagers were battling with the demon's top half, and so for the moment it was just the two of them.

Inuyasha scowled. "Look, you saved my life. I'm not just gonna turn tail and run if you let me go," he bit out, and the gruffness in his voice was harsh, but genuine. Kohana's fingers tightened on the arrow and she closed her eyes.

 _Release him!_

And it did, in a flash of pink light so bright that Kohana couldn't see much of anything. She fell roughly to the ground once more, her reunion with the ground causing another heavy gush of blood to seep out of her wound. She closed her eyes to escape the sight, and when she opened them she saw another bright light. Only this time, it was coming from a small circular jewel, about the size of a gumball. It shimmered all shades of pink and purple and even some blue, constantly shifting and changing. Kohana reached out to touch it and the familiar feeling flared once more.

"The Shikon no Tama," she murmured, closing her shaking fingers around the jewel. It pulsed with life; she could feel a steady flicker of energy if she concentrated hard enough, a heartbeat of sorts. What on earth _was_ the jewel? Surely it couldn't just be a rock, right?

Inuyasha's snarl filled the air. "All right bitch, give me the jewel and no one has to die."

Kohana then remembered that he was free and off the tree, and looked around. There were smoking remains of the demon woman all around. For a second all Kohana could do was marvel at the sight.

"Grandpa would never _believe_ this…" she said, laughing at the ludicrousness of it all. Bloodthirsty demons, magical rocks, priestess sealing spells…everything he spoke about in his Shrine tours was _right_. The man would probably have a heart attack if she ever got the chance to tell him. He'd send her back into the well with a camera and make her take pictures of all the things she'd seen.

The grass was looking really soft…her side _hurt…_

"Step away from her, Inuyasha."

Kohana looked up to see Lady Kaede standing next to her, looking at Inuyasha with no fear, no hesitation. The half-demon cocked his head.

"How do you know me, hag?"

"I am Kaede, Kikyo's younger sister."

"You did _not_ age well," Inuyasha muttered, and Lady Kaede continued, undeterred.

"If you wish to remain in this place, you must be subjected to the beads. Kohana, speak the word when I am finished," the old woman said, and in a flash had a black and white necklace out from her pocket, her hands moving together. The necklace glowed—that's right, it fucking _glowed_ —before moving to encircle Inuyasha's neck.

"What the hell?" the half-demon yelled, trying to take it off but the necklace refused to pass his chin. His snarls were almost too loud for Kohana to hear the old priestess's next words.

"Kohana, speak the word!"

"….word?" Kohana asked, her tongue feeling thick and useless in her mouth. Kaede repeated the command, adding on at the end:

"A word to subdue him!"

Kohana looked at him, her gaze drawn to his ears. Kagome had always wanted a dog, and when the two had played together as children the Higurashi girl always made Sota be the dog. Kohana smiled as her best friend's imperious command filled her mind.

"Sit!" Kohana said as loudly as she could, which wasn't very loud at all. But Inuyasha's new necklace glowed and his entire body was dragged down to the ground in what looked like a painful heap.

He tried to get up, but Kohana repeated it again, again, again, and again. He seemed out for the count after the fourth time, but she said it just once more for good measure.

With that, Kohana let her head fall back against the grass. She was so _tired_ , and numbly wondered how much blood she had lost. She felt like she was floating, giggling when a few men picked her up at Lady Kaede's request.

"Off we goooo…" she slurred, and Lady Kaede's worried face was the last thing she saw before darkness sucked her under.


	4. Chapter 3: The Shattering

Alrighty, three chapters down, two more left to go! At least, two more edited chapters left to post, anyway. I'm kind of growing to remember why I loved writing this story so much: Kohana is a pretty interesting OC. I love all of my OCs, but this one and my Avatar: The Last Airbender one (Dakota) are especially dear to my heart. Mostly cuz they're linked to my two all-time longest anime/cartoon crushes - Inuyasha and Zuko. HEART EYES, HEART EYES, HEART EYES.

Anyhoo, hope you enjoy! If you like what you see and want more ASAP...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 3: The Shattering

* * *

Kohana was in bed for two days before Lady Kaede would let her move around on her own. And Inuyasha was there for every second of those two days because, as he so eloquently put it: "The Shikon no Tama is mine, I'll kill you if you don't give it to me blah blah blah."

Not surprisingly, it slowly but surely drove Kohana insane. She left the hut as soon as she was able, the Shikon attached to her neck in the form of a necklace. Lady Kaede said that it was now her job to protect the jewel from any demons that would try and take it, but she didn't _want_ the job! All she wanted was to get home and put the entire experience behind her.

After walking for a time, Kohana gingerly sat down under a large oak that overlooked the village. The early morning sun was just beginning to peek through a cluster of clouds. She touched the jewel resting on her chest, feeling the strange heaviness of it.

Despite her best efforts to distract herself Kohana couldn't stop wondering how Kikyo had died. Asking Lady Kaede was out of the question—that would be _beyond_ insensitive—and so she was stuck with being desperately curious. Had Inuyasha wounded Kikyo so badly that she had just enough strength to seal Inuyasha to the Go-Shin-Boku before passing away?

Kohana frowned as a thought came to her. Kikyo had been a powerful priestess, according to Lady Kaede. If that were true, why didn't Kikyo _kill_ Inuyasha, or "purify" him as the villagers called it? If he had been after the Shikon no Tama, wasn't Kikyo's job to kill him and make sure he didn't get it? Why had the priestess gone to the effort of sealing him? Surely sealing took more energy than simply putting an arrow through his heart?

She closed her eyes to better enjoy the breeze. It brought with it the faint scent of smoke and freshly cut grasses. It smelled different from the air of her time, and she was so focused on the differences that she almost missed the sound of something landing in the branches above her.

Almost.

"Go away, dog-boy," she commanded without opening her eyes.

"Give it to me!" Inuyasha growled.

Kohana tilted her head back, squinting up at the boy's determined face.

"Why do you even want the Shikon, anyway? You seem strong enough already…or are you just looking for a pretty accessory? I'll admit, it _would_ go well with your hair…" She trailed off, settling back more comfortably against the tree trunk.

Inuyasha growled. "None of your goddamn business! Just give it to me!"

"Nope."

"I could just kill you and take it, ya know," he barked, and Kohana cocked her head to the side.

"You've threatened to kill me almost non-stop since I unsealed you. If you were going to kill me, you would have done it already. So save your breath with the threats and just tell me why you want it. Otherwise, fuck off, please and thank you," Kohana said as calmly as she could, turning her attention to the grass under her hands. The strands were still wet with dew.

The silence dragged on for a few minutes, and Kohana was beginning to be hopeful that Inuyasha had left when a flash of red dropped down a few feet away from her. She let out a disappointed sigh, allowing herself a few more moments of blissful silence before turning to look at her unwanted company.

Inuyasha was looking right back, the angry bitterness absent until he realized that he had been caught staring. His scowl returned instantly, and he stuck his nose up into the air, turning his face away like a pouting child. Kohana rolled her eyes. If only _she_ could jump into trees and hide away from the world.

Kohana felt him staring again the moment she stopped looking directly at him. _Gods, give me strength_ , she prayed silently before addressing the demon at her side, still staring into the leafy boughs of the oak as she did so.

"At least say _something_ …the staring is creeping me out."

Inuyasha scoffed. "I wasn't staring."

"Bullshit, dog-boy."

"Stop _calling_ me that, bitch!"

"Tell me why you want the jewel, and I will."

Inuyasha growled, an animalistic sound that was almost threatening. Kohana was about to get up and leave—becausedealing with stubborn demon boys was asking too much of her already diminished patience—when he spoke.

"I need the jewel to become a full-blooded demon, okay?"

Kohana opened her eyes, then, and glanced over at him. He was looking out at the village but he wasn't _really_ looking. It was clear that his mind was elsewhere, and his somber expression made her pause before responding.

She suddenly remembered that the demon centipede woman had mentioned him being a half-demon, in a tone that clearly marked the word as an insult.

"Why is being a half-demon so bad?" she asked.

"Of course you humans don't understand. Your kind isn't stuck between two worlds," Inuyasha muttered, and the bitterness in his voice made Kohana reconsider her initial sarcastic response. He sounded… _sad_.

Kohana sighed, settling more comfortably against the tree.

"Try me. I'm stuck in between two worlds right now. Who knows, maybe instead of you constantly threatening to kill me we can find some common ground," Kohana suggested, and Inuyasha's head turned quickly so he could stare at her.

"What are you playing at?" Inuyasha asked harshly. Kohana blinked, puzzled.

"Uh, playing? I just said that you should explain why being a full demon is so important. Trust me, you're the _last_ person I'd want to play games with."

"But _why_?"

Kohana groaned. "Inuyasha, you don't have to answer if you don't want to! I was just trying to have an interaction that didn't involve us screaming insults at each other. Stop taking every single interaction and spinning it into a fight!" she snapped, and turned so her back was to Inuyasha. She rubbed her temples with aching fingers, trying to force back the headache that threatened.

"I should kill you," Inuyasha said quietly, for once without the biting edge to it. Kohana glanced back at him, her previous speculations rushing back into the forefront of her thoughts. Before she could think to censor herself, she blurted out:

"Why didn't Kikyo kill _you_?"

Kohana regretted it the moment she said it. Inuyasha's face didn't change but raw emotion set a fire in his eyes. Sadness, guilt, anger…and then he was gone, jumping away into the trees and soon enough he had disappeared completely.

And suddenly Kohana knew why Inuyasha wouldn't kill her. Why despite all of his threats and biting words, he had yet to harm a single hair on her head.

Inuyasha had cared about Kikyo. Maybe even loved her.

But had the love been returned?

* * *

"I'm so sorry to ask you about all this, Lady Kaede, but I have to know," Kohana said, after relating her most recent interaction with Inuyasha as well as her suspicions.

Lady Kaede sighed, a deep and heavy sound, before leaning back in her seat, her one dark eye years away. It was a long time before she spoke, and it was only when she had made sure Inuyasha wasn't eavesdropping—even going so far as to put up a spiritual barrier.

"My sister died from severe wounds, wounds Inuyasha's claws inflicted. She chose death rather than attempt to heal herself, which was a shock to me, because I had seen her heal more grievous wounds before. The healers told me there was nothing to be done, but I knew Kikyo better. I was the only one who knew of…"

Lady Kaede paused, and looked at Kohana. She felt a heart-wrenching ache in that part of her she was beginning to identify as Kikyo's influence on her soul. The old woman sitting before her stared at Kohana as if she could see into that part, as if she sought out Kikyo's permission to reveal what was clearly a well-kept secret.

"…of my sister's feelings for Inuyasha. They began as enemies, but for some reason when Inuyasha came after the jewel my sister spared his life. Perhaps, even in the beginning, she was able to see a part of him that the rest of us couldn't. They became friends, and in the course of several years fell in love. I do not know how or why; I was just a child at the time and unaware of their affections until the end. But I do know that they both cared very deeply, more deeply than they let on. In the years following her death, I became convinced that the true cause of her death was a broken heart. I have wondered myself why she didn't kill him, but in light of recent events I believe I know why," Lady Kaede said softly.

"Recent events?" Kohana asked, frowning.

Lady Kaede nodded. "You were able to release him. You may be my sister's reincarnation, but only Kikyo's unique spiritual power could undo the seal. Despite all that happened…some part of her soul must have wanted him to be free, to live once more."

Kohana blinked, her hand instinctively reaching up to touch the place where her heart beat. Kikyo had… _wanted_ Inuyasha to live? But what about the anger and the rage and the urge to kill him?

"What _did_ happen, then? If they were in love…why did it end so badly?"

"I do not know. All I do know is that my sister arrived at the tree covered in her own blood, and with terrible claw wounds. I can only assume those were Inuyasha's work, because he was attempting to escape with the jewel in his possession," Lady Kaede murmured.

Kohana got to her feet, unable to stay still, because how _could_ she? Something felt off, something felt terribly wrong with the entire story, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what it was.

"I don't suppose Inuyasha would want to talk about his side of the story," Kohana grumbled, and Lady Kaede chuckled.

"I doubt he would ever willingly admit to his feelings. He has always been very reserved, despite his rather loud personality. From his words concerning Kikyo these past few days, I believe that he feels betrayed by her."

"Which doesn't add up," Kohana said quietly, sitting back down. "If he was in love with her, why would he suddenly turn around and betray her by taking the jewel? It doesn't make sense…how could _she_ have betrayed _him_?" she asked no one in particular, and Lady Kaede shook her head.

"I am in the dark as well, child. But these events cannot be changed, even if the truth is different than the evidence presents. My sister is gone, and in you is the power to take up her place. But you have your family to consider. Have you tried going to the well again, to see if its power is still active?"

Kohana shook her head, and Lady Kaede frowned thoughtfully.

"Perhaps you can take the jewel with you to your world. You said that there are no demons there?"

Kohana nodded. "Yeah, they're just stories, now. Demons are talked about in myths, but we've basically proved that there's no such thing as magic."

Lady Kaede chuckled. "It is an ignorant time you live in, then. Magic is magic, regardless of whether people believe in it. Still…I am unsure how to feel with the knowledge that, in just a handful of centuries, all demons will be destroyed and reduced to mere stories. But if it's true, perhaps the jewel is safest in your time. With no demons to plague you, you can live a normal life and keep the jewel safe."

The teenager nodded in agreement, sipping at her tea. It was strong, but still good. Lady Kaede hummed to herself, getting to her feet and releasing the barrier. It was an interesting thing to see a real live priestess preform spiritual magic, rather than cringe at Grandpa's muttering and chanting.

Kohana finished her drink before standing. Lady Kaede was right; it was useless thinking about the past, especially when it didn't even _involve_ Kohana in any way. She should be focused on getting home, not speculating about the complicated love life of an annoying half-demon.

"Thank you so much, Lady Kaede," Kohana said, reaching to take the woman's hand. She usually didn't initiate physical contact with people she didn't know well, but this felt like a necessary exception. The woman's hand was leathery and dry, but there was a steady warmth there, a familiar warmth.

Lady Kaede covered Kohana's hand with her own, her eye shining with emotion as she smiled.

"Please, call me Kaede. I won't have the last remnant of my sister address me so formally. I am glad to have met you, Kohana. May the gods guide you and grant you all the happiness your world has to offer. If the well does not work, know that you will always have a place here in this village."

Kohana smiled and made to leave the hut but was stopped by Kaede offering her a bow and quiver of arrows. She accepted it with a bow, and the woman bowed back, a sad smile on her face.

Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen when she exited the hut, which was a surprise, but Kohana supposed she should be grateful. If he knew she was going back to her world, or at least attempting to, he would go to every possible length to stop her. Hell, he'd probably try to destroy the well altogether.

The afternoon was bright and sunny, and as Kohana gingerly walked along the road through the rice paddies she made a concerted effort to breathe in the air. It was so much cleaner and sweeter than the air in modern time. As happy as she was to go home, she wasn't looking forward to the smog that came with it.

Kohana came to a section of the path that overlooked a large, crystal clear river. She was about to pass by it when she heard inhuman screeches and the wailing of a child. Her entire body jerked at the sudden sounds, and before she could think she was running in the direction of the child's screams.

She slid down the hill leading to the water and gasped at what met her there.

A huge black bird—it was easily as big as a doghouse—was hissing and cawing, its three red eyes glowing maliciously as it tried to fly away from the shore. In its claws was a little boy.

Heart racing, Kohana shot an arrow as carefully as she could, trying to aim for the demon's chest. It fell a little short, hitting its leg instead and detaching the gray scaly foot. The boy fell directly into the river. The demon screamed in fury and dove at Kohana, who barely had time to roll out of the way. But in her movement, the jewel swung to the side, and before Kohana could think to grab it the demon had swallowed it whole.

"No!" Kohana yelled, but the demon was already flying away. The mother of the child shrieked and pointed at the water, her dark eyes wide with terror.

"Another demon has my baby!"

Kohana turned to see Inuyasha jumping out of the water, the sputtering boy under his arm. Once free, the boy ran to his mother and the two embraced.

"Yeah, yeah, and I _saved_ him, too. Aren't so quick to thank me, are ya?" Inuyasha drawled to the human woman, shaking the water out of his hair. The demon bird's foot was still attached to the boy's arm, and the mother began trying to pry it off.

But Kohana had bigger problems, like the fact that the Shikon no Tama was in that beast's stomach. She shot another arrow directly at the bird that was morphing into something bigger before her very eyes. The arrow hit its shoulder, glowing with a bright light, but the flesh flew back together as if nothing had happened.

Inuyasha slowly turned to her, his eyes blazing.

"You let it get the jewel? You _stupid bitch_!"

"I couldn't let the kid get taken, asshole!"

"Shut up and get on, we have to catch up to it!" Inuyasha spat, leaning down so Kohana could scramble onto his back. With a single bound, they were fifty feet up in the air, flying forward so fast that Kohana lost her breath.

Now she was even more envious of his ability to run away from conflict. If it was this exhilarating, why did he ever _stop_ running?

Kohana gripped onto his ribcage with her knees, trying to focus on drawing back her arrow. The bird was growing even larger, and as it grew Kohana was suddenly able to see a small glowing spot in its stomach. It had to be the Shikon!

"Gotcha," Kohana muttered, pulling back her arrow and putting all of her concentration into that glowing spot. Her arm tingled, and when she let it fly, the arrow glowed a bright lavender color. The same color as the light she had used on that centipede demon, the exact same.

The arrow hit the bird demon, and for a moment all was still as it punctured its chest. But then, the entire _sky_ lit up, shining brighter and brighter until Inuyasha was forced to drop to the ground because he couldn't see. Hundreds of streaks of light raced across the sky, in all directions, and Kohana gasped because she could feel the energy of every single piece of light.

The light cleared, and a small shard of something fell to the ground by Kohana's feet. Cringing because she _knew_ what it was, she knelt down to pick it up.

A small shard of the Shikon no Tama twinkled from its place between her forefinger and thumb.

Inuyasha's change of expression as he registered what she was holding would have been comical in practically any other situation. In that instance, however, all Kohana could do was shrink into herself as Inuyasha released a stream of vehement profanity so loudly that a nearby flock of birds was startled into flight.


	5. Chapter 4: Tripwire

Here's chapter four! God, I really forgot how much i liked this fic. I mean, to be fair, it's mostly that my love for Inuyasha is once again rising to my mind and taking over every coherent thought BUT ANYHOO

If you like what you see and want more...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 4: Tripwire

* * *

After all had been explained and lamented, Kohana decided that she needed to get clean. It had been two days since she had last washed, and she felt grimy from more than just dirt. Kaede offered to take her to a place she had frequently visited when Kikyo was alive: a small spring that was surrounded by chalky cliffs and contained a modest waterfall.

Once they arrived, Kohana turned to tell Kaede she could manage fine with the small bowl of slippery soap and a rough cloth, only to see that Kaede was settling down with Kohana's torn shirt in her lap—she had offered to mend it before Kohana attempted to return to her world. It appeared that physical modesty between females wasn't quite yet a thing, as it was in Kohana's time.

She hesitated. A part of her wanted to ask Kaede to look away while she changed, while the other part argued that she had nothing to be ashamed of.

But Kohana _was_ ashamed. She turned away from Kaede, biting her lip and steeling herself. Kaede probably wouldn't look out of courtesy, Kohana reasoned. Shedding her sweaty exercise clothes, she eased herself into the small pool.

Kagome had tried many a time to convince Kohana that she _wasn't_ a runty excuse for a seventeen year old. Mama Higurashi assured her that womanhood wasn't defined by the wideness of hips and fullness of breasts. Toshi had been kind, always making it very clear he liked how she looked and that he wouldn't change a thing.

But she couldn't bring herself to believe them. She looked in the mirror and all she saw was a skinny, boyish figure. It didn't detract from her fighting ability, but sometimes she wished that she _looked_ like the other girls at least.

Kohana looked down seeing her face shimmer into existence as the water stilled. She sighed, letting her hands fall in order to dispel the image. Her face was acceptable, but she couldn't come to terms with how _young_ she looked. No wonder Inuyasha didn't take her seriously!

Huffing loudly, Kohana sank down so that her entire form was submerged. Thinking about Inuyasha got her so angry that she needed the cold water to distract her.

* * *

Inuyasha tossed the small tree aside, dirt and bits of root falling on his feet as he did. His blood was still boiling, but his rage was more containable now that he had taken it out on the forest. His feelings towards that stupid _bitch_ of a reincarnation, however, were unchanged.

She shattered the Shikon no Tama, all to save one pathetic human's life. She had wasted away a source of power that could have helped Inuyasha to reach his true potential. No more isolation, no more hiding, he could have been a full demon. But all of that was gone now.

It was dumb to think that he would have been happy as a human. Kikyo—it hurt to think the name—had made that clear in their last encounter. Inuyasha's eyes darkened at the memory of the hate in her dark brown eyes, her harsh words that went against everything they had promised and shared. Inuyasha remembered the shock, the pain that had filled him at the realization that she had never loved him at all. It had just been a cruel game to see how far down the priestess could drag the half-demon before ending him for good.

Inuyasha hadn't felt the passing of time thanks to the priestess seal, hadn't realized that decades had passed—hence him mistaking the boyish bitch for Kikyo. But even then, he had bitterly amused himself with the idea that she had survived, that she was a withered old hag buried in a nearby cemetery.

Kikyo had died fifty years ago, just moments after sealing him to the Go-Shin-Boku.

She had died at the hands of an unfamiliar demon. He remembered smelling the harsh tang of her blood pouring from deep claw gouges, remembered the harsh light in her eyes as she yelled his name, one last time.

Inuyasha hated her for betraying him, but he never would have let anyone close enough to hurt her. Because she had been _his_. In the deepest, most secret part of his heart, she was _still_ his.

And he was still hers.

Admitting the truth to himself made him want to rip apart the entire forest rather than just a few trees. He needed to become a full demon so that these emotions would just go _away_ –

"Thank you, Kaede," the bitch girl's voice sounded, sharp and clear, and Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull in annoyance. After being around the bitch for a few days, he couldn't see the similarities between the original and the reincarnation, no matter how much the old hag droned on and _on_ about them.

Kikyo's voice had been lower, gentler. It had been a voice that demanded attention without much effort. The reincarnation's voice was louder, with a knife-sharp edge that made Inuyasha's teeth grind together.

Keeping quiet, he crept to the edge of the forest, which ended in a sudden overhang, and leaned down so that he could see the scene below. The two women were walking towards the pool that Kikyo had always used. The thought of the reincarnation stepping into those same waters made Inuyasha's hackles rise. Having the idiot girl there was just _wrong_.

The reincarnation was standing by the water's edge, and Inuyasha's head cocked to the side, confused by her uncertainty. She was glancing at Kaede nervously, her thin fingers plucking at the strange tight shirt she was wearing. Why was she suddenly so quiet? Her being annoying and loud was all Inuyasha could imagine, so the sight before him made him frown.

She took a deep breath and hastily undressed before walking towards the water as quickly as she could. Inuyasha's golden eyes widened as he realized what he was seeing but he couldn't look away.

The girl wasn't shaped like Kikyo, not by a long shot. Kikyo had been taller and possessed more prominently feminine curves. The reincarnation was all sharpness and strength, her body toned and tense like a bowstring waiting to snap. She stood in the water, letting it lap at her waist, her hair brushing against her shoulders as she tilted her head back to look up at the sky. Inuyasha's demon enhanced eyesight forced him to see that her eyes were just as deep and vividly blue as the sunlit pool.

Inuyasha hesitated to call her beautiful—she was too boyish and thin for that—but for all of his dislike he couldn't deny that there was _something_ about her that drew his notice.

It was probably because when the reincarnation closed her eyes, for that split second before she ducked under the water, she looked just like a younger version of Kikyo. But despite his conviction, something nagged at him, telling him it wasn't that at all.

He sniffed, hoping to gather more information by her scent, but what he could catch in the air gave him nothing. It was the same annoyingly pleasant smell he had been surrounded by for the past few days, the smell he had woken to after fifty years of cursed sleep. He sniffed harder, and there was a hint of a hint of something else, but it was so faint that it slipped out of his grasp before he could even begin to figure out what it was.

Grumbling, Inuyasha propped his head on one hand, watching with narrowed eyes as the girl emerged from the water and dressed in a traditional white and red priestess outfit. The sight calmed him, because his apprehension of the girl looking like Kikyo was squashed almost immediately. The outfit looked wrong on her, like she was a little girl attempting to put on her mother's clothes.

Sneering, Inuyasha allowed the two of them to be aware of his presence, dropping down to perch a few feet away from the old hag's seat on the rocks.

* * *

Kohana couldn't help it—she let out a shriek when Inuyasha suddenly landed next to Kaede. How _else_ was she supposed to react to him appearing out of nowhere?

More importantly, how long had he been in the area? Had he seen…?

"Hello, Inuyasha," Kaede greeted neutrally, never once taking her eyes from her task. But Kohana could see her hands tighten slightly on the cloth, and knew that if Inuyasha so much as sneezed in her direction the old priestess wouldn't hesitate to purify him into ashes.

If Kohana were going to be scared of anyone in this world, it would definitely be Kaede. Nobu always said that the most dangerous opponent was an unpredictable one, and Kohana had a feeling that there was a lot more to Kaede than the frail, kindly old woman most people perceived her as.

"Hag," was Inuyasha's clipped response, scorn heavy in his voice.

"Sit," Kohana commanded, and Inuyasha yelled as his face was forced into the hard stone ground.

Kaede's lips twitched slightly, as if her first instinct was to smile but she fought against it. The woman patted Kohana on the arm, eyeing her new attire with a critical eye but saying nothing. Kohana snorted, lifting her arms and admiring the winged look the sleeves gave her.

"Kikyo may have rocked these, but I don't think this is quite my look. What I mean by that is that I don't look good in this type of clothing," she added upon seeing Kaede's confused expression. She had to constantly remind herself that Kaede wasn't up to date on modern slang and sayings; no one in this world was.

"You got that right," Inuyasha said. Kohana rolled her eyes at his scathing tone and chose not to reply.

Both of them looked over at the sound of Kaede getting to her feet. The woman handed Kohana her mended shirt and her other modern clothes before saying:

"I must see to one of my patients in the village. Please, attempt civility."

With a smile to Kohana, the old woman shuffled off, disappearing around the corner and leaving Kohana and Inuyasha alone. Kohana reached up to touch the small bag around her neck holding the single shard of the Shikon no Tama. Inuyasha's eyes went to it, and Kohana scowled at him.

"Just fuck _off_ already."

"Give it to me and I will!"

Kohana shook her head, getting to her feet. Inuyasha got to his feet as well, moving to block her way. Kohana glared up at him, their bodies less than two feet apart. His eyes blazed into hers and in the back of her mind she wondered what he saw when he looked at her. Did he see traces of Kikyo, and if he did, what did those traces make him feel?

Did he regret Kikyo's death, even after her supposed betrayal of him?

"Get out of my way," Kohana ordered, hating how she had to tilt her head back to look at him. She was used to being smaller than everyone else but when it came to Inuyasha, every angry feeling was amplified, and so being so much smaller than him was suddenly the most _annoying thing—_

"Give me the shard and you'll never see me again, bitch."

"Go ahead and take it from me, then!"

Her challenge made him pause, and his golden eyes lost some of their ferocity. But even with that blatant encouragement he didn't move, and Kohana felt a sneer of her own appear on her face.

"That's what I thought. Still so in love with a dead girl that you can't fight someone who looks like her."

Inuyasha's face went curiously blank, and Kohana realized that she had just revealed her knowledge of Inuyasha's feelings towards the dead priestess. But she couldn't find it in her to be guilty, or to feel anything but smug triumph. It served the bastard right.

"Goodbye, Inuyasha," Kohana said curtly and walked by him, her shoulder brushing against his. He didn't follow her, and Kohana didn't turn around to see if he was watching her leave. She touched the jewel shard around her neck before straightening her back and heading towards the well. The wound in her side was healing nicely; it was time to see if that damn well worked or not.

Once she was far enough away, and had glanced around to make sure she was alone, Kohana quickly shed her priestess clothing and slipped into her own clothes. After doing so she neatly folded the priestess outfit. She would leave it by the well and hopefully Kaede would find it.

It was nearing dusk when she reached the well. But to her surprise there was already someone there; a slender young woman dressed in a scandalously short kimono and sporting short hair the color of black-blue ink. A dangerously sweet smile adorned her elfin face, a smile that immediately put Kohana on the defensive. Something about the girl screamed 'not human'. It didn't help that the girl had blood-red eyes that glowed in the dimming light.

The girl spoke, her voice sharp like the ringing of a bell. "Hello! I hear you're the new priestess for the Shikon! It's a shame I have to kill you…you look like my kind of girl."

Kohana had to drop the priestess clothing in order to avoid the knife flying in her direction. But suddenly she felt a searing pain in her upper arm, and turned to see that the knife was…moving on its own?

No, that wasn't right. There was a string attached to it, and it was then that Kohana realized that there were strings all around her, but it wasn't string, it was…hair? That was crazy, though, humans couldn't control hair.

"You're a demon," Kohana breathed, trying to focus on her opponent rather than the bleeding cut on her upper arm.

"Yura of the Hair, at your service. Time to give up that lovely jewel!"

Kohana backed towards the well, trying to think of an escape plan. But before she could think of one, she felt something catch on her leg, causing her to fall backwards. The pouch was cut off of her neck and she desperately tried to grab for it, but it was too late.

Time and space disappeared as she fell into a swirl of lavender light.

Kohana felt her body turning, but didn't know in what direction because her eyes were tightly closed. Her hands stretched out in front of her, searching for some semblance of reality–

–with a painful shudder her knees collided against solid ground. Her hands caught her so she didn't face-plant, and for a moment all she could do was gasp into the silence. It was dark, too dark, and after a few more moments of heavy breathing she chanced a glance upwards.

The dark roof of the wellhouse met her gaze, and the realization that she was home hit her so strongly that she almost started laughing from sheer joy. She scrambled to her feet. There was a worn ladder in place of thick vines, the musty smell of tools…

The laughter finally came, bubbling out of her like a song.

She got to the top and flung her legs over the side, almost tripping over the stairs but managing to keep her balance. She didn't give the shelves or the garden tools a moment's notice, too focused on getting outside and seeing _her_ world instead of a foreign, magic-filled one.

She pulled the doors open so enthusiastically that they banged against the wall, but it didn't matter, because her home stared back at her, the Shrine and Nobu's dojo clear even in the dim light of dusk.

Kohana barely had time to take a breath before Nobu was there—where had he come from?—and she was in his arms, her face buried against his chest as he cradled her close. His embrace was so familiar and comforting that Kohana was crying before she could think to retrain herself. Nobu's hand cupped around her head, holding her securely to his chest, and at the sound of her tears his grip tightened even more.

"You're safe, Kohana. I've got you…I've got you," he whispered, and from the shakiness of his voice it sounded like he was trying not to cry himself.

Kohana heard voices—Mama and Grandpa—but didn't loosen her grip on Nobu. She curled into him, for once glad that she was so small because she fit so well into her uncle's arms.

She was _home_.

Finally, she felt the tension in her chest loosen enough for her to pull away from Nobu. His face was slack with relief as he took a small step back, searching her face with strangely knowing eyes.

Nobu seemed to realize how intently he was staring because he quickly stepped aside to let Mama pull Kohana into a fierce hug.

"Oh my baby, you're safe!" she cried, and Kohana felt new tears prick at her eyes. Grandpa hugged her, next, and Kohana wiped at her face, allowing herself to be led inside by Nobu.

Kagome and Sota were at the dinner table, and Kohana was bombarded in a similar fashion. Usually Kohana didn't like being all emotional, but she didn't think to be ashamed of all the tears that were going around. She was just so happy to be back, and to see her family again.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Mama asked, her eyes frantic as she searched Kohana's face and body. She gasped when she saw the cut, and Nobu was there without being asked, cleaning and wrapping it up while Grandpa guided Kohana into a chair. The attention was dizzying, and Kohana was quiet for a time, letting them get all their questions and concerns out before beginning to speak.

She told them everything. The only detail she left out was Inuyasha and Kikyo's relationship, not deeming it important enough to trouble her family with.

At the end of it, Nobu sat back in his chair, his face unreadable— which was strange, because usually he was an open book to Kohana. After a few seconds of silence he stood and said he needed a moment. He strode quickly from the room, and Kohana frowned at his sudden departure. Did he not believe her?

Mama put a hand on her shoulder, her brown eyes—Kagome had her eyes—warm and kind.

"Don't worry, dear, he's just...overwhelmed."

"But you all believe me, don't you?" Kohana asked, her voice much more fearful than she would have liked.

Mama nodded firmly. "Of _course_ we do! Never be afraid to tell us the truth, Kohana. Family sticks together, no matter what."

Kohana smiled, and let herself be enveloped by Mama's embrace once more. She didn't remember her own mother, but she didn't need to; Mama was her mother in all but blood.

Kagome shook her head. "I just can't believe that the wellhouse had that…that _thing_ all this time! I've never liked that place, but to have a demon and a portal to another time period….wow."

Sota bounced up and down on his heels. "Can I—"

" _No_!" Kagome and Mama snapped at the same time and in the exact same tone. Sota scowled before slumping in his chair.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Mama asked after giving Sota a stern stare.

Kohana nodded. "Yeah. I was just scared that I would never come home. I never wanted…this," she murmured, reaching for the place the jewel used to rest. Despite her words, something inside of her ached with loss. Like she had left something behind.

But that was a ridiculous thing to feel.

"I think I just need to take a bath and go to sleep," Kohana said, more to herself than to anyone else. Mama nodded and helped the girl up to her feet.

"Go straight upstairs. You'll stay here tonight."

Kohana nodded, and she and Kagome walked upstairs together.

"What happened the night I left? Did Hojo come over?" Kohana asked, desperate for distractions. Kagome shook her head, opening the door to the bathroom.

"That was just something to throw you off; we were planning a surprise birthday dinner for you. Nobu was so excited because you had no idea…but then you never showed up. Mama waited a day before calling the police. We had the entire force searching the city. Mama's probably calling them right now to tell them we found you."

Kagome helped her get her shirt off, careful of the bandages Nobu had placed there. Kagome then turned on the hot water, adding a liberal amount of sweet smelling bubble bath as she did so.

"How are you _really_?" Kagome whispered as they waited for the tub to fill.

Kohana opened her mouth to say 'fine' but the intense look in Kagome's eyes made her pause. The two girls stared at each other for a moment, and Kohana was the first to look away.

She sighed. "I don't know, Kagome. Honestly, I don't. I'm glad to be gone, but at the same time…I'm not. There was this demon named Yura that the village now has to deal with. Kaede was so kind to me, and I left without even warning her…"

Kohana frowned at Kagome's expectant expression and the younger girl rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"And…what about Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

Kohana scowled. "There's nothing to tell."

Kagome shook her head. "Nope, nuh uh, you don't get to push me off like you did the others. I _know_ you, Hana, and that's not your 'there's nothing to tell' face. Nobu could tell too, I bet, but he's your uncle so he probably doesn't want to know details. But I'm your best friend. _Spill_."

Kohana glared at the girl, hating the smug smirk on her face. She finished undressing and slid into the steaming water, careful to keep her injured arm out of the water. Kagome sat next to the tub, leaning her elbow on the edge and waiting for Kohana to talk.

"I...remember how I'm apparently the priestess's reincarnation?"

Kagome pursed her lips in thought. "Yeah, it was Kikyo, right? That was her name?"

"Yeah. Well, it turns out that she and Inuyasha…were in love."

Kagome's bare elbow slid off the edge and dipped into the water, but she didn't even care because she was too busy gawking at Kohana.

"Are you _serious_? Wait, didn't she shoot him and seal him to the tree?" Kagome mused, drying her arm with a nearby towel.

Kohana nodded. "Yeah, but Inuyasha was taking the Shikon, so it was kind of Kikyo's job. According to Kaede he feels betrayed by Kikyo. Which is weird because Kaede said that _he_ was the one to inflict the wounds on Kikyo. It's all very confusing."

"That's for sure…so what does that have to do with you and Inuyasha?" Kagome prodded, and Kohana blew half-heartedly at the bubbles in front of her face.

"It just sucks because he's an absolute asshole to me, but is still in love with Kikyo. But he also hates her at the same time, meaning he hates me…?" Kohana asked the air above the tub before letting out a huff of frustration. "I don't even know! He sees me as her willing replacement, which is such bullshit because I never asked for this! But at the same time, he saved my life. He didn't attack me even though he threatened to almost constantly. He saved a kid from the river when he didn't have to. I feel…ugh. Do you see why I didn't talk about this? How can I even _begin_ to explain the conflicting shit going on in my head? Kaede says Kikyo's soul is still alive inside of me, so I don't know if my feelings are hers or mine when it comes to Inuyasha. There was a moment…"

Kohana hesitated, but Kagome put a hand on her bare shoulder, not caring that her hand got wet.

"You can tell me, Hana. Pinky swear, now and forever, right?" she said, holding up a pinky finger in a silent promise. It was an inside joke of theirs, the pinky thing. They always held it up when what they were about to say should be considered private. Kohana did the same, smiling half-heartedly, and cautiously continued.

"When I was trapped against the tree with Inuyasha, there was a moment that…I wanted to kill him. I wanted to stab him with the arrow and finish it. But it wasn't _me_. I didn't want to do it, because I didn't see him as a monster. I still don't, even after all this. Maybe I should."

The two girls sat in silence for a few minutes, both of them immersed in their own thoughts. Kohana dunked her head underwater, letting the muffled silence fill her ears and the water saturate her scalp with heat.

When she resurfaced, Kagome was tapping her chin with a carefully manicured finger.

"I think Inuyasha likes you, or at least, he likes the bits of you that remind him of Kikyo. That's why he never hurt you, even though he said he was going to."

Kohana huffed. "That's great. He hates me for looking like Kikyo but also likes me for the same reason. Great."

Kagome snorted at Kohana's words. "The thing that I don't get is why someone who was so madly in love with Kikyo—and still is, if his reaction to you is anything to go on—would try to _kill_ her. It just doesn't add up," she said.

"I _know_ ," Kohana groaned, leaning her head back against the lip of the tub. "It drove me crazy when I first heard it, but Kaede doesn't know what happened between them that day, so all she has is speculation."

"And he thinks _she_ betrayed _him_? Ugh, and I thought high school drama was confusing. Have you asked Inuyasha?"

"Inuyasha isn't exactly the most pro-Kikyo at the moment, even if he secretly still loves her. I asked about her once when we were alone…and he got the saddest look on his face before running away. I guess it's pointless to think about, since I'm not going to see him again," Kohana said, shrugging and reaching for her towel.

Kagome handed it to her and excused herself while Kohana got dressed in some clean clothes. Just as she finished pulling on a plain black shirt, she heard Nobu's voice from outside the bathroom window.

"Kohana, could you please come outside?"

The forced casualness in his voice made Kohana think the worst, and so she raced down the stairs and past a startled Kagome who had been sitting just outside the bathroom.

What she found outside wasn't too far from the worst scenario she had been imagining.

Nobu was standing in between Inuyasha and the house, the two of them eyeing each other. The silver-haired boy was curiously peering at Nobu, deliberately sniffing in his direction, while Nobu was calm and composed. But there was something off about her uncle, almost like he was nervous, but Kohana was probably being paranoid.

At a look from Nobu, Mama nodded and ushered Kagome inside before shutting the door. She remained outside, coming to stand on Nobu's other side.

"So this is the Inuyasha you spoke of?" Nobu asked, glancing over at Kohana.

"Yes, unfortunately," Kohana snapped, the sight of Inuyasha bringing back all of her stress and anger.

"Hey, bitch, you need–"

He was cut off when a sword point was suddenly pressed against his neck. Kohana gaped at Nobu, who held the weapon with one hand, his grip deceptively casual.

"Call her that again and you will find yourself without ears, do you understand?"

Nobu's voice was soft, but soft in a way that sent nervous chills up Kohana's spine. She tried to move forward but was stopped by Mama's touch to her shoulder. The older woman shook her head slightly.

Inuyasha stared at Nobu, shocked by the sudden sword, and after a moment of staring into Nobu's eyes his ears lowered slightly. Kohana gaped in shock as Inuyasha looked away, a clear sign of deference. What in the _hell_ was going on?

Inuyasha met Kohana's gaze. "You need to come back, the old hag was attacked—"

"Kaede was hurt? Is she alright?" Kohana interjected, pushing past Nobu despite his effort to hold her back with his arm. Inuyasha's ears perked up as she approached, though he kept a careful eye on Nobu when he spoke.

"She'll live, I think. I buried her next to the Go-Shin-Boku, she should keep until we get back. She–"

"You _buried her alive_? You piece of _shit_!" Kohana shrieked, grabbing Nobu's sword and pointing it at him herself. Inuyasha snarled at her, his fangs glinting in the light.

"Will you people stop _interrupting_ me? For fuck's sake, what I was _going_ to say is that she asked me to cover her with leaves so that predators didn't find her. There, ya happy?"

Kohana stared at him for a moment before lowering the sword. "How did you get here?"

"The well. I followed your scent, and it ended at the bottom of it. I jumped, and suddenly I was in this weird smelling place. Is this what that old hag was talking about when she said 'your time'? What time is this, anyway?"

"It's not important right now. The important thing is helping Kaede."

Just as she finished that sentence, something caught her eye. It was that same dark hair as before, the one that had been attached to Yura's knife. There was a lot more of it this time, a trail of it leading from the entrance to the wellhouse. It slithered around like a gleaming snake. Kohana saw it moving towards Inuyasha's ankle and without thinking moved to pull him away from it.

He tripped forward, and their chests pressed against each other for an instant. He smelled like warmth and sweat, but underneath all that was the smell of forest, like she was standing in a field and breathing deep while a breeze blew around her.

Kohana looked up into his golden eyes, and even her fairly inexperienced mind could sense the raw tension between their bodies in that brief instant. But it confused her rather than excited her, so she hurriedly stepped away. Inuyasha did the same, and Kohana looked at Yura's hair rather than meet his gaze. It was a convenient distraction.

"What the fuck was that?" Inuyasha asked, and Kohana pointed to the hair.

"Don't you see it?"

She was so focused on Inuyasha that she didn't notice the Higurashi matriarch subtly pull on Nobu's sleeve, steering him away so he didn't touch the hair. The two shared a long look, one that, if Kohana had noticed it, would have made her question a great many things. But the half-demon held her attention at present, and so the entire exchange was overlooked.

"See _what_?" Inuyasha's brow furrowed with confusion.

"You can't see it?" Kohana asked, and turned to Nobu. The older man shook his head. Kohana let out a heavy breath, her mind racing.

"It must be because I'm a priestess's incarnation. They're supposed to be able to detect demon stuff, right? That must mean that Kaede can see it too," Kohana mused, and Inuyasha nodded reluctantly.

"The old hag was right, then."

Kohana turned to Nobu and Mama, and Nobu's eyes were sad but he didn't say a word. Mama bit her lip but she too didn't speak against what she saw in Kohana's eyes. Instead, the woman moved forward, touching her face in a way only mothers can. Nobu came close to put a hand on his niece's shoulder, and the three of them shared a moment that Kohana would never forget.

It was a shift, an unspoken one but a shift nonetheless. Years later, Kohana would look back and recognize it as the moment her feudal journey truly began.

"Be safe, please," Mama whispered

Nobu swallowed hard. "Come back as often as you can, for weapons and for anything else you need," he murmured, and Kohana was so grateful they were supporting her that all she could do was hug them both tightly.

Inuyasha cleared his throat too loudly for it to be anything but a purposeful interruption. Kohana sent him a withering glare before turning to join him. When they reached the wellhouse it became clear that the well was the source. Kohana peeked inside the shed to see that a gargantuan mass of hair was pouring from the portal, a silky waterfall of demonic intent.

Kohana yelled when it lunged for her, and Inuyasha swiped blindly, trying to attack it. More hairs trickled past Kohana's skin, and one managed to create a thin slice on her cheek. She flinched but kept her eyes on Inuyasha.

"To your left!" Kohana called out, and Inuyasha's claws made contact with a few oddly glowing hairs closest to the well's entrance. The hair seemed to hiss in pain, and the mass suddenly lost all of its energy, going limp. After a few seconds it began to sizzle into dust.

"Those hairs must have been controlling the rest," Kohana gasped, her heart still racing. Inuyasha stood by the well and waited for Kohana to join him there. His eyes lingered on her cheek, and she lifted a few fingers to see if it was bleeding. It was, but it wasn't much so she left it alone. She was about to climb in when she felt a soft fabric flutter over her. It was Inuyasha's red outer robe; underneath it he wore a cream-colored shirt.

"It's made from the fur of a fire-rat. It'll keep you safe," Inuyasha muttered.

Kohana opened her mouth to refuse but quickly closed it, recognizing a peace offering when she saw one.

"Thanks," she said softly. Inuyasha didn't reply.

With that, the two hopped over the edge of the well and disappeared in a burst of lavender light. Once the brightness faded, the only sign that they had been there at all was the creak of the door Kohana had left open and the arid smell of burnt hair.


	6. Chapter 5: Yura's Nest

Last chapter for a while...unless I get some very compelling cases for why I should continue. I hate to be THAT author, but I honestly dont have time to update this AND finish my ATLA series - which is much more popular and has a much bigger active following. I have to finish that trilogy before I can even THINK of dedicating serious time to another big multi-chapter (which this story DEFINITELY is...it spans the entire manga, sooooo YEAH).

But I hope you all enjoy this, and that it will tide you over until I pick this back up!

Lots of love,

~Sapphire

P.S. Reviews are my form of currency! So if you want to see me get "paid" for all of my hard work...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

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Chapter 5: Yura's Nest

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"Now seems like a good time to mention that Yura has the Shikon shard," Kohana said lightly as they perched at the edge of the well, staring out into the web of Yura's hair currently creating a minefield of sorts across the field. Inuyasha's growl was sharp and loud in her ear and she grimaced at his barely contained shout.

"She has the fucking shard? You _idiot_!"

"Yelling at me isn't gonna do much, so let's just focus on defeating her and _then_ you can yell at me, okay?"

Inuyasha gave one last snarl before focusing on the dangerous web of hair. "Fine. How are we supposed to find her, anyway?"

Kohana looked around and noticed that one of the hairs was glowing a reddish purple color. She pointed to it, remembering as she did so that Inuyasha couldn't see it. So she explained out loud as well as pointing.

"Well, one of the hairs near that tree is glowing, and none of the others are, so I'm assuming that it's one of the strands that controls the rest. In a perfect world, that would lead us to Yura, but–"

But Inuyasha was already running towards it, yanking Kohana onto his back at the last second. Kohana swore loudly at his impatience but let him follow the strand, occasionally giving him directions to keep him on track. The strands thinned for a time, a orange light flickering up ahead. Inuyasha slowed and once he did, Kohana was able to spot the very edges of a campfire. She had a bad feeling about the silence pervading the area but didn't protest when Inuyasha went towards it.

What met them there made Kohana want to throw up; she only just managed to keep it down.

Three men's bodies were strung up in Yura's hair, blood and flesh dripping from various slices and gouges on their bodies. The most startling thing was the fact that all three bodies were missing their heads.

"Gross," Kohana muttered, anything to break the silence, and Inuyasha scoffed.

"Scared of a little blood? Gonna run back to Mommy and Daddy?"

Kohana glared at him. Did he think that Mama Higurashi and Nobu were her parents? And who did he think he was, accusing her of wanting to run away!

"I was just going to use this, since they certainly don't need it anymore," she retorted, spotting a bow and quiver of arrows leaning against one of the bodies and snatching it, trying her hardest to hide her discomfort. Inuyasha didn't appear to be convinced but thankfully he didn't argue.

They continued on their way and Kohana couldn't help but appreciate how warm the fire-rat robe was. She glanced down at Inuyasha, clad only in his under robe, and for a split second wondered if he was cold. But then she snapped out of it, focusing on the road ahead and directing Inuyasha to follow the glowing strand of hair.

They soon reached a cliff overlooking a rocky basin and Kohana wordlessly slid off of Inuyasha's back, her eyes never leaving the massive orb of hair suspended before them. Inuyasha moved forward to get a better look at their surroundings. His movement left Kohana crouching alone in the brush.

Suddenly, thick ropes of hair shot down and wrapped around Inuyasha's arms and legs, yanking him up into the air. Kohana only just managed to clamp a hand over her mouth to muffle her startled squeak. Inuyasha yelled and struggled, but the hair was holding strong.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here! A smelly dog that just so happens to have _gorgeous_ hair," Yura exclaimed, dancing down on strands of hair in order to caress Inuyasha's head. The tendons in Inuyasha's neck jumped, but he stayed still. Kohana could hear him growling, which was impressive considering how far away she was.

"Let me go, fucking _whor_ e–"

Yura's eyes flashed, and before Kohana could blink she had pierced Inuyasha's shoulder with a small sword.

"That is no way to speak to a _lady_ , Inuyasha!" she scolded.

Inuyasha's head bowed over as he sucked in deep breaths. Kohana clenched her fists at the sight of blood trickling down his arm. Yura was licking her sword now, her face twisted into an odd mixture of disgust and pleasure.

"How do you know me?" Inuyasha seethed. Yura winked at him before skipping out of range. It was then that Kohana noticed the pouch hanging around her neck, the one she had stolen from Kohana. She still had the jewel shard!

"I heard that the Shikon jewel was shattered by a rookie priestess and her lapdog, and I can't say I was surprised when I found out it was you. But it's okay; you wont be alive for much longer."

She paused to run the very tip of her sword down the side of Inuyasha's face, not hard enough to pierce the skin but enough to leave a faint red line in its wake. Kohana gripped her bow more tightly and slid backwards until she was free of the brush. She was careful to keep her steps silent as she maneuvered so the demon girl was in her direct line of sight. Yura was so focused on Inuyasha that she didn't notice Kohana pulling back an arrow.

"I normally would play with you beforehand, but too much blood would ruin that hair of yours. So a quick and boring death for you! Don't worry, the jewel shard is safe with me."

Kohana let out a breath as she released her arrow. Yura's entire body jerked as the arrow went straight into the side of her head, and for a moment Kohana allowed herself to feel triumph when the demon stumbled on her web, the hair loosening enough for Inuyasha to yank himself free.

But then, a horrible giggle filled the air. Kohana's entire body froze in shock Yura stood straight, undeterred by the arrow sticking out of her skull. Her teeth gleamed in the dim moonlight as she grinned.

"I wondered where you went, you little bitch," she cooed sweetly, as if speaking to a beloved child. Without warning she waved her hand, sending a few strands of hair towards Kohana. The only twist was that they were covered in bright purple flames that hissed like fiery snakes.

Kohana stumbled backwards, trying to get away, but the fire was quicker. She raised her arms up to cover her face, trying to prepare herself for the pain, but suddenly strong arms were around her, locking around her waist and yanking her upwards.

Blue eyes snapped open to see the tan skin of Inuyasha's neck and the masculine line of his collarbone. Kohana looked beyond his shoulder and gasped upon seeing the embers covering his back.

"Inuyasha, your back!"

"Keh, her wimpy fire isn't enough to take me out," Inuyasha snapped as they landed on a rocky overhang, reaching back to beat the small flames out with his bare hand. Kohana wanted to argue, but Yura was heading towards them.

Kohana drew back another arrow, putting all of her focus into the target. The arrow began to glow, softly at first but quickly gaining strength. When Kohana released it, it became a streak of lavender light. Unfortunately Yura had anticipated her intentions and managed to get out of the way at the last second. The arrow hit the huge ball of hair instead, towards the bottom, and it melted away. Hundreds of pale human skulls fell out of the structure, hitting the stone floor of the valley below with sickening cracks and snaps.

Genuine fear flashed across Yura's face. Suddenly, hair grabbed Kohana's arms and yanked her away from the cliff. Inuyasha yelled in protest, but Yura was too busy pulling Kohana up until their faces were inches apart. Kohana shivered at the hate in Yura's gaze, and wished in that moment that she had chosen to ignore Inuyasha's presence at her house just an hour or so ago. Her heart was hammering in her chest so loudly that it created a roar in her ears.

 _I don't want to die_!

Yura's sword came down on Kohana's shoulder. The sword fell harmlessly, unable to cut through the soft red fabric of Inuyasha's robe. If she hadn't been so scared Kohana would have cried in relief; her chest was heaving and her eyes were so wide that she probably looked like a crazy person.

Inuyasha's yell was the only warning before thin red blades sliced through the hair holding Kohana up. One of them flew dangerously close to her ear, and at the splash of warm liquid on her face she realized that the blades were made of blood. Inuyasa was on top of Yura before the demon could think to retrieve Kohana, and so the girl was left to flail helplessly as she fell. She reached for something, _anything_!

The strands of hair connected to the fallen skulls slipped through her fingers for a moment before she got a firm handhold. Pointedly ignoring the eerie coldness of the hair, Kohana began her descent, only to pause at the sight of a bright red skull. It stood out from all the others, and as she looked at it she realized that it was the exact color of Yura's eyes. It even had the same flickering quality, almost like a flame.

Kohana changed tactics without thinking, crawling towards the red skull while glancing back every now and then to make sure Inuyasha was still occupying Yura. The demon hadn't seemed afraid of anything so far, not Inuyasha's claws or Kohana's arrows. But she _had_ shown fear when her arrow got close to these skulls. Was it the red skull that she was protecting?

Kohana had just grasped the red skull firmly with one hand when the hair gave way beneath her. She gasped, clinging to the skull more of out instinct than conscious determination.

" _Get away_!" Yura screamed, and Kohana looked back to see that Yura was missing an arm, and there was a huge gaping hole in her chest. But neither of those seemed to deter her as she soared towards Kohana, and her frantic expression confirmed her tentative theory.

The red skull was the key to killing Yura. Why else would she be so desperate to protect it?

Kohana rolled down the hair, wincing as the slippery surface abruptly shifted into rough gravel. She tucked her body into itself, trying to cover her head with one arm and clutch the skull to her chest with the other. Finally she rolled to a stop, and looked up to see Yura descending upon her.

Her quiver was a few feet away, having flown off of her shoulder in her unsteady fall, and she leapt towards it. Her fingers shook as she pulled an arrow out, and she sent a fervent prayer to every god out there before shoving the sharp arrowhead into the top of the skull.

There was a split second in which nothing happened, and in which Kohana prepared herself for the final killing blow that was surely coming. But then a huge explosion of energy came out of the skull in the form of thousands of adult voices screaming and—oddly enough—the wailing of one little girl, lost and lonely.

Kohana was blown back by it, managing to keep her eyes open long enough to see Yura frozen in midair, her eyes wide and unseeing. A single tear dripped down her check before her body dissolved into red dust.

Kohana lay there, gasping for breath, unsure of how she should feel considering that her would-have-been murderer had just _dissolved_. There were so many things that were circling through her brain in that moment, but there was no way she could cope with it all at once. She had just fought a terrifying demon girl with a thing for hair, alongside a half-demon boy that hated her for looking like his ex-girlfriend, and she had signed up to go on a quest to look for the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of magical jewel shards. What had she been _thinking_ , volunteering for this?

The night sky was littered with stars that glittered brightly, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. To them, perhaps, this sort of thing happened every day.

Inuyasha approached, peering down at her for a moment before sitting down beside her, letting out a pained huff. Kohana looked over at him and saw him nursing the stab wound on his shoulder. It made her remember the red robe she still wore. He had given it to her even though he knew that it left him more vulnerable, knew that they were heading into a fight with a demon that wielded invisible—to him, at least—razor-sharp hair.

Even with all of the antagonism between them, he had placed her safety above his own.

Kohana lowered her gaze.

"Hey," she began, waiting for Inuyasha to look at her, but even when he didn't she forced herself to keep going. "I'm…I'm sorry for what I said earlier today, about Kikyo. You don't have to say anything, but yeah. I'm just…I'm really sorry for using her against you like that. It was really shitty of me."

Inuyasha's ears swiveled in her direction at the sound of Kikyo's name, but other than that he gave no inclination that he had heard her.

Kohana continued, "I just…I'm not _her_. I know that I look like her, sort of, but I'm not her…I'm just me. I'm just Kohana, and I'm scared. I've never been in these kinds of battles before and I have no idea what the _fuck_ I'm doing!"

She sat up, angrily rubbing at her face to stave off the tears she could feel coming. Inuyasha didn't say anything, and so Kohana jumped when she heard a small _thump_ next to her.

When she looked down, she saw the pouch with the single jewel shard lying on the ground by her hip. After a moment, Inuyasha stood and turned his back to her, walking a few steps towards the cliffs. When Kohana didn't immediately jump up to follow him, he turned his head back to give her a questioning scowl.

"Let's go, Kohana. The Jewel shards ain't gonna find themselves."

Kohana blinked at the sound of her name. It was the first time he had ever said her name out loud, she realized. He didn't stay to question her puzzlement, because he turned his head and kept walking, his hair shining like burnished silver in the light of the moon.

She couldn't help but smile a tiny bit before scrambling to her feet. The blind hatred that had filled their interactions was gone. Kohana supposed that she couldn't fight a sadistic demon with someone and hate them _quite_ as much afterwards, no matter how much she might want to.

They weren't friends, not even close, but that simple acknowledgement—that simple stating of her name—changed things. The two of them silently walking back to the village side by side solidified the feeling.

Kohana may have signed up for a crazy magical journey in a feudal land, with demons and magic and reincarnation, but she wouldn't have to do it alone.

It was a comforting thought, and one that Kohana clung to with all of her might.


	7. Chapter 6: Beyond The Grave

...oh hello.

I dont know what is HAPPENING but it's kind of a problem. I have my entire Earth: Bring it Down Finale outline finished and ready for actual writing...and yet all I can find motivation for is this stupid, stupid story. DAMN MY INUYASHA MUSE. It's probably cuz I'm re-reading the manga and am falling in love with it all over again.

I know things are staying pretty close to canon right now, there's a reason for it. Kohana is not Kagome, and trust me when I say things are gonna be a'CHANGIN. It's also terrifying to go off-book in regards to events so HUSH AND LET ME TAKE IT AT MY OWN PACE.

Anyway...yeah. I'm gonna try to focus on my other stories for now, but knowing my muse, I'll probably update sooner than later. I'm also sorry for any grammar mistakes...it's like midnight here and I've been writing this chapter non-stop for at least four hours. Bleh.

Enjoy, and...

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Chapter 6: Beyond The Grave

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It was a beautiful, sunny day in feudal Japan. It really was too bad that Kohana couldn't take the time to actually _enjoy_ it, but alas, she was too busy chasing down a half-demon that had been _stabbed_ last night and thought that he could just walk it off without any medical care.

Kaede had recommended that Kohana leave well enough alone, but she was determined to make sure Inuyasha was properly recovering. Nobu had always instilled in Kohana the importance of monitoring the healing of serious injuries. It was the most critical step in caring for wounds—it lessened the chance of untreated infection.

And so, Kohana found herself in this increasingly humiliating situation.

"Stop _following_ me!" Inuyasha whined, ducking away from her attempt to surprise-tackle him to the ground. They had been at this for a good hour and the half-demon wasn't even out of breath. Kohana, on the other hand, was dripping in sweat and just about ready to tear his hair out—one stupid strand at a time.

"Inuyasha, you need to have someone look at it, for the love of every fucking god that happens to be listening and is _blatantly ignoring my request for help_!" Kohana yelled to the sky, kicking at a rock so hard that she felt the pain through her running shoe.

The two stood under a large tree that sported small tiny purple flowers and large green leaves, and if Kohana wasn't so irritated she would have taken some time to admire it.

Inuyasha glared. "I'm fine, ya pervert. Stop trying to get my shirt off!" he snapped, tugging his robe a bit tighter around him and turning away from her. He wasn't even bothering to _run_ ; he knew that he could outmaneuver her at any speed.

Kohana huffed. "If you don't let me look at your wound, I'll say the word."

 _That_ gave Inuyasha reason for pause. He turned to give her a nasty look over his shoulder, but at least he had stopped walking away. Progress, right?

The boy turned to face her, nonchalantly leaning against the tree's trunk as he did so. At least, it _looked_ nonchalant to the untrained eye. Thanks to ten years of deciphering Kagome's very fickle moods and Nobu's relentless observation training, Kohana knew that it was just a façade. Inuyasha was anything but relaxed.

He was waiting to see how she would proceed. The ball was in her court.

Kohana folded her legs underneath her so that she was sitting in the shade. Her skin was gross and clammy from the quickly cooling sweat coating her skin. For a moment she pitied Inuyasha; his nose must be picking up on all the gross smells that come from a human sweating in the hot sun.

"I know you probably won't believe me when I say that I don't want to use the word on you, but honestly I don't," Kohana admitted, and it was true. She _hated_ the idea of—when not in the context of necessity or a fair fight—physically forcing someone to the ground at her feet.

The beads placed Inuyasha in a very sensitive position, and Kohana knew that unless she was careful, she could fall into a pattern of abusing that power. If she got into the habit of using it when Inuyasha wasn't doing what she wanted, Inuyasha would quickly learn to respect her, sure, but it would be based on the power of a magical artifact and not Kohana's own merit.

The girl found herself speaking again, pulling her knees up close to her chest.

"When I was eight years old I got picked on by a boy at school. Whenever he felt like I wasn't paying enough attention to him, he held me down and pushed my face into the dirt. I tried to stay on his good side, at first. When that didn't do anything, I fought back with everything I had. It always ended the same way," she explained.

The memories of those horrible first months in school were so vivid in her mind, even after all the years that had passed since then. For a second, she was transported back to those days on the playground, back to the moments when her face was shoved down so hard that the dirt was forced into her mouth—

"I don't ever want to be that boy," Kohana said into the silence.

She wasn't sure why she was telling Inuyasha this. It would be easy to shrug it off and say that it didn't matter what she told him, because he didn't care…but then she would be lying. Last night, Inuyasha gave her his robe and shielded her body from Yura's purple fire.

He had used her name.

Kohana glanced up to see that Inuyasha wasn't looking at her. He was gazing out at the valley as if nothing in the world bothered him. Just as she was about to give up and leave, the half-demon crouched in front of her and yanked aside the collar of his robe to reveal his shoulder.

There was nothing. Not a single blemish to show where the blade had passed through his body. Nothing but smooth skin where an ugly wound _should_ have been.

"Oh, you fucking _asshole_ ," Kohana breathed, reaching forward to confirm the lack of injury, so in awe that she didn't notice Inuyasha's harsh intake of breath at the touch of her fingers.

"What?" Inuyasha barked as he moved away from her and fixed his robe. Kohana gaped at him for a moment before sitting back on her heels.

"You're able to heal from a stab wound in _one night_! Your senses are better than a human's, you can run and jump faster than anything I've ever seen, _and_ you're able to fight with your claws! I would give _anything_ to be like that," Kohana exclaimed, getting to her feet and giving her legs a quick shake to loosen the muscles.

For the briefest of moments, Inuyasha's lips twitched. It was as if he was fighting a smile. But then the scowl was back.

"You're fucking weird," he scoffed, turning up his nose at her. Kohana rolled her eyes at that—like _he_ was so normal.

Suddenly, a high-pitched voice pierced the air, too thin and reedy to be human.

"Master Inuyasha!"

Kohana looked around, trying to spot the enemy demon. She frowned at Inuyasha, who didn't seem alarmed at all. The half-demon grimaced before smacking his neck. What in the hell was he swatting at?

 _His lack of social skills, probably._

Kohana snorted, her eyes catching sight of a small coin-sized speck falling to the ground. Wait, was that a _bug?_ Inuyasha knelt to examine it and his golden eyes shone with reluctant recognition.

"Not you again!" Inuyasha groaned, and made to crush the creature with a clenched fist. But it jumped out of the way in time, right onto Kohana's hand.

The creature was a flea, albeit a much larger flea than those in her world, and one that was dressed in a tiny outfit no less. In one of his six hands there was a toothpick-sized walking stick.

The flea looked up at her, and Kohana was sorely torn between shrieking and flicking the creature off of her—it was a _talking flea_.

"My most humble greetings, child! I am Myoga, flea-demon and friend to Inuyasha's late father, former Lord of the West. You have my thanks for releasing Inuyasha from his cursed sleep!" the flea greeted cordially, and Kohana couldn't help the shocked laugh that escaped her.

Inuyasha snarled. "Grateful because it means you can follow me around and annoy the hell out of me!"

Myoga's eyes bulged. "Annoy you? Master Inuyasha, as I have always said, my presence is necessary for a son of the great Inu no Taisho to thrive! I served your father for three hundred years!"

"Why the fuck aren't you clinging to Sesshomaru, then? He's daiyoukai, the heir, whatever the fuck you want to call it," Inuyasha grumbled, and Myoga bristled in response.

"Believe me, I have _tried_ speaking to Lord Sesshomaru, but you both have both made it clear that you don't need assistance of any kind! Lord Taisho would have laughed to see how similar his sons have become! Yourmother, may her soul rest in peace, _always_ said—"

Inuyasha's expression darkened, and in an instant he had Myoga between his forefinger and thumb. A deep rumbling resounded from his chest, a sound more genuinely threatening than anything Kohana had heard him produce so far. Stone-faced, he brought the flea-demon up so they were eye-to-eye. Kohana had so much new information swirling around her head that all she could do was stare.

Inuyasha's father had been the demon Lord of the West. Inuyasha was a half-demon, so that meant that his mother had been _human_.

Inuyasha bared his teeth at the flea before dropping him to the ground, careful to step on him as he stormed off. Kohana watched his retreating back as he stalked down the path, unable to do more than gawk at the interaction she had just witnessed.

Myoga recovered within a few seconds, popping back into his usual form with a grunt of exertion.

"Well, that went about as well as I anticipated," he said brightly, brushing some dust off of his robe. Kohana knelt down to better see the flea.

"How long have you known him?" Kohana asked, extending a hand so that Myoga could hop onto it. She didn't want to stay crouched on the ground all day, and having the flea-demon in her hand made it easier to see him.

Myoga eagerly climbed into her offered hand, his body tiredly slumping against her palm. It made her wonder how far he had traveled to find Inuyasha.

"Since he was born!" he cried, indignantly throwing up his hands.

"So you knew his mother?" Kohana asked as she began the trek down the hill and towards the village. In the far distance, near Kaede's hut, she spotted the distinctive gleam of Inuyasha's silver hair.

Myoga nodded gravely. "I helped Izayoi escape when Lord Taisho fell in battle, the night of Master Inuyasha's birth. I stayed with them for ten years, helping Izayoi with various matters. I would have remained longer, but I was needed elsewhere," the flea explained as Kohana made her way back to the village.

"When did she die, if I may ask?" Kohana asked. Inuyasha clearly felt very strongly about his mother, and his disdain for humans made her a bit uneasy about the whole thing. Did he hate his mother? Was that why the mere mention of her made him so visibly upset?

Myoga sighed, his expression distant and sad. It was odd to see such a desolate expression on a flea's face—or any expression, for that matter.

"A century and a half ago. Master Inuyasha was fifty years old when it happened, if my memory serves me correctly. He's been on his own ever since."

That would mean…holy shit, that Inuyasha was _one hundred and fifty_ years old. Technically it was two hundred, if one counted the fifty years spent on the tree, but Kohana wasn't sure that counted—according to Kaede, the spell Kikyo used had placed a stasis on Inuyasha's body, preventing him from aging or being affected by the elements.

"How?" Kohana breathed, shocked to her core.

"The same way all humans die if allowed to live out their lives in peace; old age. Master Inuyasha's only solace in a world that shuns half-breeds was his mother. He loved her, I believe, more than he has loved anything—or anyone—since. Witnessing her gradual descent into death is most likely the reason that his own partial humanity frightens him as much as it does. But the truth of it is that Time claims all living things, eventually. Demons in particular are loath to accept it but it remains true all the same."

 _No wonder Inuyasha wants to become a full demon_ , Kohana mused. _He doesn't want to have to be constantly reminded of the human side of him, the side that took his mother away so soon._

But if that was the reason, how on earth did he fall in love with Kikyo?

She paused on the slope of a hill, quickly running her free hand through her hair in an attempt to calm her thoughts. Myoga peered around her fingers, seemingly concerned by her agitation.

"Sorry, it's just a lot to take in," Kohana assured him. "Also, Inuyasha would probably kill us both if he knew we were talking about this."

"Most certainly."

"He already has enough reason to hate my guts, what's one more?" Kohana joked halfheartedly.

Myoga hummed thoughtfully. "Ah yes, the _reincarnation_ dilemma. I'll admit, I was very much surprised to find you still alive, child. Meaning…it must be very difficult for Inuyasha to collaborate with a girl who contains the reincarnated soul of the priestess who cursed him for fifty years. I do wonder why he didn't kill you the moment you released him."

A dark, humorless laugh clawed its way out of Kohana's throat.

"I have no idea," she lied smoothly before resuming her walk to the village.

Myoga chuckled. "Now, if Lord _Sesshomaru_ was in Master Inuyasha's position, you can be certain that nothing would be left of you but a pile of bones..."

Kohana latched on the subject of Inuyasha's brother— _half-_ brother, Myoga quickly corrected—in a desperate attempt to dislodge the bitterness from her stomach.

The worst part? She had no idea if the bitterness came from Kikyo's soul residing within her or if it came from Kohana herself, from the very plausible reality that her status as Kikyo's reincarnation could be the only reason she was being kept alive.

* * *

"And so that is why I have come. There are rumors of one who wishes to seek out and desecrate your father's tomb," Myoga declared.

Kohana looked to Inuyasha the moment the flea-demon finished his tale. He was scowling, as usual, but there was a distinct chilliness in his gaze that wasn't normally present. Kaede observed calmly as she stoked the cooking fire into a more steady heat-source. Night had fallen and the firelight cast heavy shadows on the walls of the hut.

Finally, Inuyasha shrugged. "Ain't my problem."

Myoga sputtered. "M-Master Inuyasha!"

"I've got better things to do than sit and cry about someone walking into a tomb. My old man's _dead_ , there's nothin' else to it."

With that, the half-demon got up and exited the hut, so forcefully that the reed mat serving as a door slapped against the wall. Kaede and Myoga both sighed.

"I have heard of this demon, this _Inu no Taisho_ ," the old priestess quietly revealed. "He ruled over the West with a fair hand, or so legend says."

Myoga nodded eagerly. "My Lord Taisho was the greatest demon lord this world has ever known!"

Kohana hesitantly raised a hand. "I hate to agree with Inuyasha, because he's an ass, but he _does_ have a good point. We have more important things to do than scare away some bandits hoping to loot a tomb."

Myoga fidgeted, his eyes darting from side to side. "It's more complicated than that, in truth. The tomb…it's not exactly… _here_."

Kohana frowned. "Here?"

" _Yes_ , that's what I said," Myoga scolded. "Meaning that it's not on _this_ plane of existence. The only way to access the tomb is through Master Inuyasha. The portal is a…magical _item_ of sorts…one that I helped to insert when he was just a few days old, as his father requested before his death. Inuyasha doesn't know of it, which is why I had to come. To _warn_ him!"

"Warn him of _what_?" Kohana demanded, growing more and more suspicious by the second. Myoga looked pretty jumpy, which could be passed off as a flea habit—they were in near-constant danger of being stepped on or crushed—but she had a horrible feeling it was more than that.

"What I mean to say is…I forgot to mention that the person looking for the tomb isn't exactly a bandit. He's… _family_."

Kohana stared at him for a moment before it clicked.

" _Fuck_!" she yelled, scrambling to her feet. " _Sesshomaru_ is coming? The one who's a full-blooded demon and heir to the Western Lands? The one who also _hates_ Inuyasha? Is that the name you forgot to fucking mention?"

The uncomfortable silence was answer enough. Cheeks red with fury as well as the heat of the fire, Kohana leaned down to grab her empty bowl and chuck it at Myoga. She didn't even bother waiting to see if her aim was any good, instead focusing on grabbing her quiver and bow as she ran outside to find Inuyasha.

The village was quiet, as most were getting ready for bed, and so even though she was spitting mad Kohana _tried_ to be as quiet as she searched. After half an hour or so she spotted a few large, fresh footprints in the soft dirt road leading to the southern fields—the farthest away from the village. Groaning, Kohana steeled herself and began to jog in that direction. The nearly full moon shed plenty of light for Kohana to see where she was going, and for that she thanked the gods.

"I mean, do I wish you had helped me earlier when I was trying to help Inuyasha check his wound? Yeah, I really do, but I suppose you're making up for it," Kohana muttered as she reached the top of the hill.

The village was quickly fading into the distance, and disappeared completely when she began jogging down the other side of the slope. Stretched out before her were miles of farming fields and small thickets of trees, made black and white by the light of the moon. Kohana looked around, wishing she had a dog whistle or something. Should she call out? Was he even nearby? Had those been some random farmer's footprints she had followed?

"Well, shit," Kohana admitted, and she must have been pretty loud because something shifted in her periphery. She quickly turned to see a familiar half-demon perched in one of the trees farther down the hill. He had heard her, even though he was at least half a mile away.

That settled it; she wanted his ears. Not literally, but _damn_ if she wasn't insanely jealous of his enhanced senses.

Inuyasha noiselessly dropped down to meet her as she approached. His brow creased at her frantic expression.

"What's up with you?" he warily asked.

Kohana took a step closer. "Myoga told me who—"

Apparently the gods were cashing in on their 'let's be nice to Kohana' spree, because at that moment a shuddering groan of energy ripped through the air. It caused Kohana's skin to tingle and her heart to begin racing in preparation to hide away from something _big_.

Kohana wasn't sure what prompted her movement, but her hand immediately found Inuyasha's arm. She dropped to the ground and dragged him with her. He didn't make a sound as she did so, which was odd for him. Instead, he fell down with her, as if he had been planning on hiding as well. Kohana shared a glance with him and it was silently communicated that she wasn't the only one who had felt the energy.

Something was coming.

Kohana's chest heaved as she sucked in panicked breaths. She had _just_ finished a terrifying demon encounter—she didn't want to jump headfirst into _another_ one!

"Inuyasha, I _can't_ —" she began, only to be cut off by Inuyasha's hand firmly clamping over her mouth.

Iinstinctively, Kohana struggled, causing Inuyasha to growled at her. They were so close to each other that the sound vibrated through her, combating against the foreign energy as well as her adrenaline-induced trembling. Kohana shuddered, trying to fight the urge to bite down on Inuyasha's hand. She just wanted to _run_ _away_ and get home and curl up into Nobu's arms because this energy couldnt _reach_ her there.

Inuyasha hunched down even further, his upper body pressed against her back. The growls continued, though they were much gentler, and in the back of her mind she wondered if he was trying to console her. Was this how dog-demons gave comfort?

After what felt like hours the dark energy faded from the air. Inuyasha was the first to pop up and take a look around. He removed himself from her person so quickly that there was no doubt that he hated touching her, and Kohana could say with some certainty that the feeling was mutual.

The panicked feeling was gone, shedding light onto the fact that Kohana had completely lost control of herself. So much for being Nobu's best student—give her too many demons to handle and she just _crumbled_! How could she be of any help on this journey to find Jewel shards if she shook like a leaf every time an evil presence showed up?

Kohana blushed with embarrassment at the thought and firmly shook her head. No, she _wouldn't_ do that. She would stand up right now and tell Inuyasha about Sesshomaru because she _refused_ to be the pathetic damsel!

She stood and determinedly faced Inuyasha, only to find that the half-demon was standing perfectly still, staring intently up at the sky. His profile was almost aristocratic in the moonlight; a term that was definitely _not_ applied to Inuyasha on a daily basis, if _ever_.

Kohana frowned as she followed his line of sight.

A carriage was drifting across the sky. It didn't have horses or oxen pulling it, but an imp like creature carrying a scythe floated a few feet in front of the structure and appeared to be guiding it. In lieu of a door there were strips of expensive cloth. As Kohana watched, a strong breeze blew them out of the way and revealed the occupant.

"It's a woman," Kohana whispered to herself, squinting to better see the person sitting inside the carriage. She was too far away to see any details of the woman's face, but the robes were discernible—richly colored and made of fine fabric. A demon noble of some sort, maybe? The woman appeared to be human, but couldn't demons take on human forms?

"Mother?" Inuyasha breathed, effectively ending Kohana's pondering because _what the_ hell _did he just say_?

At the sound of Inuyasha's voice the powerful energy returned with a vengeance, filling Kohana's ears and vibrating through every bone in her body. This time she braced herself against it instead of giving in to the desire to drop to the ground.

The energy darkened the clouds and parted them, allowing the moon's light to shine on an enormous demonic hand as it reached down from the heavens and closed its clawed fingers around the carriage.


	8. Chapter 7: Two Lies and One Truth

And people are worried that I won't divert from the original storyline - HA!

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter (even if it's much shorter than the last one)! If you want me to update more regularly...

 ** _PLEASE REVIEW!_**

 ***Seriously, the only thing that will keep me updating this is knowledge that people are actively following this story! :)**

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Chapter 7: Two Lies and One Truth

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Kohana watched as a huge demon emerged from the misty cloak of clouds, a hulking monster with black skin and red eyes that glowed a hundred feet above them. The girl's eyes widened impossibly wide—the idea that such a creature could exist was beyond the scope of her reality. She thought she was done being shocked by things in this world, but _nope_.

The demon opened its claws to reveal Izayoi's limp form, her long black hair rippling in the air below the creature's fingers. Kohana wished her eyesight were better so she could see if the woman was injured.

A harsh snarl ripped through the air as Inuyasha darted forward in an attempt to free his mother. But out of the mist came a narrow stream of fire, an attack Inuyasha only just managed to avoid by dropping out of the sky. Kohana ran to meet him, grabbing an arrow from her quiver and readying her bow.

The mist cleared just enough to reveal a tall figure casually perched on the demon's shoulder. The man had long silver hair and eyes that shone gold even from a great distance. This had to be the Sesshomaru that Myoga had spent many minutes describing in great and terrible detail. The one that had slaughtered a platoon of bird-demons with one wave of his poison whip. The one who killed humans as one kills ants underfoot—with a sort of casual indifference.

According to Myoga the dog-demon was over two hundred years old, but to Kohana he didn't look a day over nineteen.

 _If I live through this, I need to remind myself to ask Myoga about how demons age_ , Kohana noted to herself. She stole a glance to her right to see Inuyasha's reaction. His lip curled over sharp fangs as he snarled:

"I should have known it was you, you fucking asshole."

Sesshomaru's head cocked to the side. "One would assume that being a priestess's lapdog would have cured you of your dirty mouth, but I suppose as father's bastard you can't help it—filth is in your blood," he drawled, and Kohana let out a low whistle.

"The family reunion's off to a _great_ start," she muttered, swallowing past the itchy nervousness in her skin and focusing on Sesshomaru. Next to him stood a green imp with a tall wooden staff that was smoking slightly. Was he the one who had shot the fire?

Inuyasha took a step forward, eyes locked on the woman in the demon's hand.

"Nice try, bastard, but my mother's been dead for a long time!" he called out, and if Kohana hadn't been listening closely she would have missed the tightness of his voice. He was trying to sound casual but there was a degree of hesitation there.

Sesshomaru chuckled. "For one as weak as yourself, it is as such. But I found a way to restore your mother's soul—I even reunited her with her human body."

The monster demon tightened its hold on Izayoi. The beautiful woman cried out in pain, but something was off. Kohana didn't know how she could see it, but something about Izayoi's body didn't seem right. Maybe it was the light of the moon, but it almost seemed to be shimmering.

It also seemed odd that Sesshomaru wasn't moving to attack. For someone known to be prideful and independent, the demon was relying quite a bit on a large monster and Inuyasha's mother. It felt like a trap and Kohana hardened her heart as she stepped forward.

"Inuyasha, your mother died an old woman," Kohana whispered, daring to put a hand on his arm. Inuyasha's head whipped around in order to fix her with a steely glare but she remained firm. "He's here to find your father's tomb, and he thinks that threatening something that looks like your mother will get you to play his game and tell him where it is."

For a moment, she was afraid Inuyasha would attack her—that's how furious he looked. But then his expression smoothed out and it seemed that he was actually thinking over what she had said. Removing her hand from his arm seemed the logical next step but something kept her where she was.

"The carriage was keeping her in her most youthful state, but now that her journey has been interrupted…" Sesshomaru called out, causing Kohana and Inuyasha to focus on the woman once more. Kohana gasped as a transformation began before their very eyes.

Like a flower rapidly withering under the strain of winter, Izayoi's form shrunk until she was an old woman. Inuyasha's chest swelled with his sharp intake of breath and Kohana's hand fell from his arm in shock. The girl had been so sure that Sesshomaru was lying, but what if he wasn't? Had Inuyasha's mother truly been brought back from the dead?

The elderly Izayoi's expression remained strong and kind, a pained smile crossing her lips.

"Save yourself, Inuyasha," she commanded, her gentle voice somehow carrying across the demon-energy charged space. "I have already crossed the border into the afterlife once before, it doesn't matter how I do so a second ti— _AH_!"

The woman's words broke off as she screamed in pain; the demon had tightened its grip once more. Inuyasha ran forward, shouting as he bit into his arm and sent sharp blades of his own blood into the demon's wrist. The demon roared and all became chaos as the fingers loosened enough for Izayoi to fall through.

The human woman fell only for the briefest of moments before Inuyasha caught her. Even through the fear of the demon's retaliation Kohana felt a pang of sorrow at the way Izayoi tenderly touched her son's face with a single wrinkled hand.

Inuyasha touched down near Kohana before gently setting his mother down. He took a deep breath through his nose as he did so, and Kohana was shocked to realize that he was _smelling_ her. Tears welled up in Izayoi's eyes as Inuyasha took a step back, and Kohana distracted herself by hurriedly slinging her bow over her shoulder.

"Get her out of here," Inuyasha ordered, his golden eyes burning with the emotions he refused to let show on his face. Kohana gave him a quick nod before kneeling down to help Izayoi to her feet. As she was doing so, however, a roar of fury was heard above them.

Kohana looked up to see the demon's giant hand—red with blood, thanks to Inuyasha's attack—descending towards them. Inuyasha threw out his arms in an attempt to block the attack and Kohana hunched to the ground, pulling Izayoi under her to shield her. But suddenly, a strong hand gripped the back of her neck and yanked her backwards and away from what was soon going to be a bloody spectacle of crushed bodies.

" _Inuyasha_!" she screamed, watching as Izayoi flung her body upwards, arms extended as a lotus flower appeared between her and her son. The petals were made of pure light, shimmering and glowing until Kohana had to close her eyes.

The hand holding her tightened, not enough to cut off her air supply in any way but enough to remind her that she was being held. From the click of claws around her neck she could safely assume who the hand belonged to. She jerked in his grasp when a nose lightly trailed the skin of her neck, sniffing in a very canine sort of way.

The thought of _Sesshomaru_ smelling her—of his sharp teeth so close to her neck—sent Kohana into a panic. She scratched and clawed at the hand as hard as she could, letting out a scream of frustration when her efforts proved to be in vain. Her heart was pumping blood through her so quickly that it became a dull roar in her ears.

Without warning Sesshomaru released her; annoyingly unfazed by her attempts to free herself. Kohana yelped as she hit the ground hard—her knees were definitely going to have cuts on them later, if the stinging was any indication. The air felt cool on her heated skin as she stayed down in a crouch and tried to come up with an escape plan.

If she tried to run, he would catch her. If she tried to fight, he would _kill_ her. She couldn't use for her bow because that would alert him to her intentions; he would kill her before she touched a single arrow.

Kohana stared at her trembling hands while waiting for the killing blow, too scared to look up and confirm her assumption that Inuyasha and Izayoi were dead. _Sesshomaru_ might not have planned to kill Inuyasha but the huge monstrous demon was another story.

On that note…where _was_ the demon? The dark presence was gone, leaving only an odd ringing in the air. That was enough to give Kohana the strength to look up, and what she found shocked her.

Nothing. No sign that the demon had ever been there, no sign of Inuyasha or Izayoi. Where the demon and Inuyasha had been was only a stretch of tilled earth. The night sky was rich and dark and the stars blinked down at her in that irritatingly benign way.

Kohana took a deep breath. She couldn't stay crouched in the dirt forever. She had to do _something._

"Where is he?" she asked loudly, trying to sound cool and collected but failing when her voice cracked on the last word. The smooth rustle of fabric was her only warning of his approach, and even then she still jumped when Sesshomaru's low voice sounded right behind her.

"That is no longer your concern," the daiyoukai said, and Kohana's anger emboldened her enough to turn around.

Sesshomaru was much less ominous up close. He had Inuyasha's golden eyes, but other than that he was completely different from his half-brother. His skin was paler, for one, and his cheeks were marked by delicate purple stripes. His silk robes spoke of royal upbringing and his large furry tail—it was so large that it had to be draped over his shoulders—reminded her that he was a dog-demon. Not a half-demon, like Inuyasha, but a full-blooded one that was a hundred times more dangerous; that is, if Myoga's words were to be believed.

"If he dies, I'll kill you," she spat, surprised at the venom in her voice. Where had _that_ come from?

Sesshomaru cocked his head to one side, considering her with his cold, distant eyes.

"Fascinating," the demon murmured, his tone as unbothered as if he was commenting on an unexpected rainstorm. Kohana felt her stomach twisting with anger at his blasé attitude.

"Either kill me or let me go—this whole vague thing you have going on _isn't_ cute," she seethed. Instead of attacking her as she expected, Sesshomaru said nothing, simply stepping around her and walking away across the field. Kohana sputtered for a moment before scrambling to follow him, slipping her bow off her shoulder as she did so.

"Killing Inuyasha will kill your chance at finding the tomb's entrance!" she shouted.

Sesshomaru slowed but didn't turn around. "I am aware."

"Then what…" Kohana trailed off as they crested a small hill that overlooked the river. There, sitting by the river, was what looked like the young Izayoi but she…holy fuck she didn't have a _face_!

Inuyasha was kneeling beside her, and his body was disappearing into the woman's chest. Literally _disappearing._ His eyes were closed and his face was as peaceful as a newborn baby's. Kohana had been right—the woman wasn't his mother at all, just a tool to get Inuyasha to reveal the tomb's location! God _dammit_!

"Inuyasha!" Kohana yelled, trying to run down to where he was. Sesshomaru's arm flew out to block her path but Kohana was ready this time. She abandoned the idea of using her bow and reached out to grip his forearm, channeling all of her desire to free Inuyasha into her fingers.

The lavender light burst forth, burning through his robe and scalding his skin with spiritual energy. Sesshomaru yanked his arm away and Kohana pushed past him, too focused on Inuyasha to waste time wondering why the dog-demon was letting her go instead of killing her where she stood.

Kohana soon reached the demon woman. The woman was cooing to Inuyasha as a mother might do and seemed to be focused only on her prey. Inuyasha was slipping into her like one slips into a pool of water.

"Shit, Inuyasha, snap out of it!" she demanded, grabbing a hold of his thick silver hair and pulling. But Inuyasha continued to sink, and a burst of demonic energy pushed Kohana back so hard that she stumbled and fell flat on her back.

She groaned, dazed from her head colliding sharply with the ground. Suddenly she felt a sharp stinging on her neck and instinctively reached up to slap at the area. Myoga's voice squeaked from her hair:

"Kohana, you must disrupt the image!" he cried. "The Un-Mother is a being created from the pain mothers feel at losing their children in war and childbirth—she consumes her victims by feeding them images of motherly love and luring them into a sense of security. Look at the water!"

"Where have you _been_?" Kohana snapped, getting up and scanning the water's edge.

"I've been…assessing the situation from a safe distance!"

"Yeah, sure," Kohana scoffed, and at that moment she saw what Myoga was referring to. It was a shimmering image of a faceless Izayoi holding a much smaller Inuyasha close, the child's face completely content. Kohana ignored Myoga's grumblings and ran to the water; she didn't even pause to give her attention to the sound of the staff-wielding imp's whiny voice shrieking in fury. She stomped determinedly into the river, kicking and splashing to get rid of the mirage.

The Un-Mother screeched in pain as Inuyasha was forcibly pushed out of her body and onto the ground. He looked shaken; his eyes were wide as he took in the area around him. Kohana sloshed out of the water, falling to her knees beside him and checking his exposed skin for injuries.

"Fuck. _Fuck_ ," Inuyasha breathed, his eyes heavy with shame. She had seen that look before; in her own eyes, on those nights when she couldn't sleep and spent hours staring into the mirror, willing herself to _remember_ —

Kohana shook her head. "You thought she was your mother, Inuyasha. If I could remember mine, I would have done the exact same thing," she said quickly. Inuyasha looked at her, then, and in his gaze Kohana saw a question.

"The pearl. On the right," the Un-Mother whimpered, her arms extending out as if to pull Inuyasha back in. The half-demon got to his feet before she could, pushing backwards and out of her reach. The tiny green imp from before appeared behind the Un-Mother, his giant staff teetering as he frantically flapped his arms.

"Don't speak in riddles, you repugnant pest! Did you find the tomb or not?"

"Silence, Jaken," Sesshomaru's voice sounded, and in an instant he had Inuyasha in the same grip Kohana had been in just minutes before. But from the way Inuyasha was gasping for breath, she knew that Sesshomaru had held her _very_ differently.

Didn't the guy hate humans?

Inuyasha's panicked expression is what made her act; she grabbed an arrow and aimed it directly at Sesshomaru's head. The daiyoukai paused, looking away from Inuyasha and straight at Kohana.

"Do not make me deliver your dead body to your sister," Sesshomaru said curtly, tightening his hold on Inuyasha. Kohana pulled her arrow back a notch farther, trying to contain her confusion.

"You have me mixed up with someone else, Pretty Boy. I don't _have_ a sister," Kohana retorted. The dog-demon's expression didn't change except for the slightest quirk of his lip. Was he _smiling_?

"Fascinating," he repeated, this time with a definite lilt to his tone. Bewilderment, maybe? Or was it pity?

Kohana let out a harsh breath. "If you say _fascinating_ one more fucking time—"

"He will not die," Sesshomaru promised before plunging two clawed fingers into Inuyasha's right eye.


	9. Chapter 8: Tessaiga

Here you go! This chapter is a blend of plot and character development, so please bear with me. Also, please understand that Inuyasha's development (more so than most of the canon characters in this show) WILL change with the addition of Kohana.

Unlike Kagome, Kohana is proficient at combat from the very start, and not just with a bow and arrow (once Miroku and Sango enter the picture, we'll see a lot more of Kohana's hand-to-hand combat skills). So from the VERY BEGINNING Inuyasha is forced to see Kohana not just as Kikyo's reincarnation, but as a force to be reckoned with and (especially after last chapter) a kindred spirit of sorts. Kohana is much less weepy than Kagome, which is both a negative and a positive and offers a _different_ sort of dynamic for these two. Unlike Kagome, Kohana isnt the kind to stand on the sidelines if she sees an opportunity to stand and fight (this also results from her upbringing, so dont take that as a rip on the original Kagome). Kohana also openly admires his half-demon status and praises the skills that most of the world scorns him for. That is HUGE for someone like Inuyasha. HUGE, I tell you!

So in short? If Inuyasha seems OOC, it's because he **is**. Just as Kagome brought out a different side of Inuyasha than Kikyo did, so it shall be with Kohana.

Anyhoo, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! If you want to make me a gloriously happy camper and give me some fanfic-currency...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

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Chapter 8: Tessaiga

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Inuyasha let out a terrible cry as Sesshomaru stabbed his eye. Trying to ignore the horrible knotting sensation in her stomach at the wet sound of claws digging into flesh, Kohana prepared to release her arrow. But just as she moved to do so, a burst of flame erupted from her left side. If she hadn't fallen forward—and released the arrow, causing it to sink harmlessly into the ground instead of Sesshomaru's head—she would have been incinerated.

"Little _brat_! How dare you point a weapon at Lord Sesshomaru! You should be on your knees begging for _mercy_!" Jaken screeched, his cry coming at the same moment that Sesshomaru let the limp Inuyasha crumple to the ground.

Clutched between the demon's pointer and middle fingers was a small black pearl, about the size of a marble if Kohana had to guess. She rushed to Inuyasha's side, taking in the blood and his pained gasps. He squinted with his one good eye, and when he opened the other Kohana could see that while the iris and pupil were covered with a hazy sort of film, the eye itself wasn't damaged. But how was that possible? Half-demon healing, maybe?

"The staff, Jaken. Or do you plan to make me wait?" Sesshomaru commanded. His voice was soft and terrible, carrying such a tangible threat that Kohana was surprised Jaken didn't start trembling in fear; perhaps by now he was accustomed to his master being so cold and menacing.

"N-No, of course not, My Lord!" Jaken stammered before handing his weapon to the dog-demon. Sesshomaru tossed the pearl onto the ground before sharply tapping it with the butt of the wooden staff. Immediately a great rushing wind picked up, so strong that Kohana had to duck her face into the crook of her arm to avoid getting gritty specks of dirt in her eyes. Inuyasha snarled beside her, and when the wind died she looked up to see a glowing vortex of energy swirling in the air before Sesshomaru.

It was a _portal_. It immediately reminded Kohana of the portals often displayed in Souta's video games, a comparison that made her want to laugh. That urge immediately died when Inuyasha's snarl became a roar, the only warning before he launched himself at Sesshomaru.

"You fucking bastard!"

Sesshomaru smoothly sidestepped the sloppy attack, reaching out with one hand and hooking it around his half-brother's collar. With one quick jerk, Inuyasha was slammed into the ground so hard that Kohana could almost _hear_ his ribs rattle. The Un-Mother mumbled in pain, her arms still extended towards the silver haired half-demon.

The daiyoukai cocked his head. "A bastard is what _you_ are, brother. Or have you forgotten that your mother was a glorified whore?"

Inuyasha's good eye flashed with hate. "I'll fucking _kill_ you," he seethed.

Sesshomaru turned away from the portal at that, advancing on the wheezing half-demon. The Un-Mother tried to get in the way but with one lazy flick of his wrist a great rope of shimmering poison slashed her into tiny pieces. Holy _shit_ …Myoga hadn't been exaggerating. Sesshomaru was _dangerous_.

Kohana wanted to stay where she was, away from those green-tinged claws, but something powerful stirred inside of her chest. Inuyasha had given her his robe, his _only_ armor. He saved an innocent boy from the river. He had issues and was overall a bit of a dick, but he wasn't _cruel_.

He didn't deserve to die.

Kohana didn't think—she stepped in front of Inuyasha while smoothly drawing another arrow out of her quiver, aiming the weapon at Sesshomaru's face. Soft lavender light glowed around the point of the arrow, bits of blue and pink swirling together in the air around it. If she hadn't been focused on staring unblinkingly at Sesshomaru, she would have paused to better examine the sight—was purple a normal priestess-aura color?

"Take another step and this goes between your eyes," Kohana promised darkly. Sesshomaru stopped moving and in his eyes a sort of calculating seriousness shone through. His sleeve was still singed from where she had touched him, and Kohana thanked the gods she had thought to do that—it proved that she wasn't fucking around.

A moment or two passed, each feeling like an individual eternity. And then, Sesshomaru turned away from them, wordlessly stepping into the portal and disappearing from sight. Jaken—flabbergasted—quickly followed, and Kohana let out a shuddering breath as she lowered her arrow.

"Yup, he's gonna kill me while I sleep. And that's if I'm _lucky_ ," she weakly joked. Inuyasha stepped forward to stand beside her; she felt his eyes on her but didn't meet his gaze. She didn't need to face off with _another_ angry demon.

They both stared at the portal for a moment before Myoga's voice pierced the whistling sound of the portal:

"You must follow him, Master Inuyasha! Your inheritance lies within that tomb, and in Sesshomaru's hands it could do ungodly sorts of damage!" he cried shrilly.

"I don't want anything from my old man, but I _do_ need to kill that bastard," Inuyasha spat, moving forward to enter the portal. Kohana moved after him, waiting for him to tell her to stay behind, but to her immense surprise he said nothing.

She sensed that that not stopping her from following was as close as she would get to Inuyasha admitting that he wanted her to join him.

"Okay, just a huge scary portal into a dead demon's tomb. Nothing crazy about that," Kohana muttered to herself before putting her foot up so it was hovering in the portal.

The air inside the swirling mass was oddly neutral, neither cold nor particularly warm. Ignoring Inuyasha's scoff of impatience, she boosted herself up and fell forwards into the darkness, trying to ignore the deep thudding of her anxiously beating heart.

She closed her eyes as the lack of discernable temperature enveloped her body. It was the strangest sensation—she had expected the path to a tomb to be cold and death-like—and yet she supposed it made sense.

Death was the lack of life, the lack of any feeling, and so it was logical that the path to death would embody that same nothingness.

"Can I open my eyes, now?" she asked, feeling a shiver of discomfort at the lack of an echo. The rushing of the wind against her skin was still there, but the lack of temperature made it difficult to figure out if they were through the portal or not.

"I wouldn't recommend it," Inuyasha said sharply after a few seconds, unexpectedly looping an arm around her waist and pulling her upright as they landed on something solid. Something…bony?

"What are…" Kohana's voice faded as she opened her eyes and stared at the immense skeleton of an armored dog. It stood tall and proud in a misty graveyard, several large skeletal birds flying around the skull. She noted with muted surprise that she and Inuyasha were riding one of the birds towards the skeleton. It was growing increasingly hard to be shocked after the night she had had. And the night wasn't even _over_. Oh _joy_.

They hopped off the bird when it flew close to the top of the skull, and Kohana winced when the impact jolted the numerous cuts on her knees. Inuyasha heard her—she knew he did by the tweaking of his ears in her direction—but she shook it off before he could say anything, hooking her bow over her shoulder as they ducked into a hole in the bone.

The inside of Inu no Taisho's skeleton was oddly tidy, with thick woody roots making up the walls (or ribs, in this case) and keeping the structure intact. The ground began at around the skeleton's waist, made of the same woody material. The spine protruded towards the back, making a large column that jutted out into the open space.

Sesshomaru stood before a small podium, in which was stuck a rusty sword.

"Oi, asshole!" Inuyasha shouted, the sound echoing very loudly in the space. Sesshomaru didn't turn around but it was clear he was aware of their presence. The scowling half-demon promptly abandoned Kohana in order to jump down to the ground. She peered over the edge of a root more carefully—it was at least a hundred feet drop, at least. Damn demons and their carefree jumping!

Her human ears weren't able to hear everything that was being spoken, but as she climbed down she managed to get the sense that the sword was what their father had left. Inuyasha's inheritance was a rusty sword? Huh, well…no wonder Inuyasha didn't want it. The question was, why did _Sesshomaru_ want it?

Kohana soon reached the floor, adjusting her bow and scanning the area for that imp character. She found him crouched behind a root, watching the exchange with his watery, bulbous eyes. Sesshomaru was reaching for the sword, his golden eyes focused wholly on the weapon.

Suddenly, a great surge of energy sparked from the podium. Sesshomaru was forced to release the handle, impassively examining his burned hand.

"A barrier, hm?" he murmured, and Inuyasha let out a bark of laughter.

"You can't even _hold_ it!" he mocked, and Sesshomaru was lunging for Inuyasha in the next instant. The two clashed loudly for a minute or so, the sounds of Inuyasha's breathing filling the space. Sesshomaru let out a single growl of frustration before stepping back. His expression became smooth again; not a single hair was out of place.

"Take it, Master Inuyasha!" Myoga ordered, and Kohana was shocked to see that the flea was still on Inuyasha's shoulder. "Tessaiga was forged by your father to protect your mother—it will respond to your call!"

Kohana watched as Inuyasha stepped up to the podium, his eyes narrowing as he considered the old weapon. It looked like a piece of shit, but maybe there was something that needed to be unlocked before it was useful? All Kohana knew was that the sword looked like it had seen much, _much_ better days. The sight of the corroded blade made her inner weapons-fanatic want to cry—swords needed to be taken _care_ of!

Inuyasha extended one hand towards the handle. His fingers clenched around the tattered leather, and there was a tense silence as they all waited for the barrier to activate. But it didn't. Inuyasha's expression blanked in shock, and with a smug smirk he moved to pull the sword out of the podium—

—only to stagger, because the sword didn't budge.

Bristling, Inuyasha flicked Myoga off of his shoulder. The flea demon shrieked as he landed near the spinal column, a few feet away from where Kohana was crouched.

"C'mere, you scared baby," Kohana soothed before reaching out and scooping the flea off the ground. He hopped onto her shoulder, grumbling in frustration.

"What was Lord Taisho thinking? The barrier repels both brothers, even the half-demon one for whom the sword is intended!"

Kohana shrugged. "The sword was created to protect a human, right? Both of them are demons who hate humans; it's logical that neither of them can use it."

A thought occured to her, then. Inuyasha couldn't get the sword out of the podium because he wasn't aiming to protect humans, and Sesshomaru couldn't for the same reason. But did that mean that no one could get the sword out? What about...a human hand?

Without giving her brain the chance to talk herself out of it—there were _so many_ reasons she shouldn't get involved—she jumped out into the open and ran towards the podium. Myoga yelled at her to stay back, but she ignored him, reaching out and grabbing the sword handle. It was oddly warm in her hands; the blade hummed as if pleased with how things were turning out.

Kohana took a shallow breath through her nose before pulling upwards.

The sword slid out without any resistance.

The air in the room was so still that a pin could have dropped and everyone would have flinched at the sound of it hitting the ground. Kohana looked over at Inuyasha, whose jaw was nearly touching the ground, and then at Sesshomaru.

Only to find that he was gone. Kohana couldn't help the very ungainly shriek that escaped her when he appeared right in front of her a second later, a blur of energy and _anger_. The daiyoukai stood very stiffly, his eyes blazing as he glared down at her.

"How were you able to remove it?" he asked curtly.

Kohana held the Tessaiga up in front of her in a defensive stance. They both knew that the blade wasn't sharp enough to cut a block of butter, but it was all Kohana had. She couldn't reach her bow and arrows with the sword in her hands. Inuyasha yelled something at Sesshomaru but Kohana was too focused on keeping the blade in between her and a very scary dog-demon. Without her glowing arrow, Kohana felt so powerless that her knees began to shake with the effort of keeping her upright.

"Give it to me," Sesshomaru ordered.

Almost before he had finished his sentence, Kohana was shaking her head.

Sesshomaru's eyes became considerably less calm, the tip of a fang peeking out as he snarled. The sound ripped through Kohana like a knife. It was then that she realized that, until that moment, she hadn't known what a truly threatening snarl sounded like.

When Inuyasha snarled at her, his aim was to intimidate and express frustration. Sesshomaru, however, wasn't trying to scare her; he was snarling out of a genuine desire to _kill_ her.

Sesshomaru's clawed hand glowed with poison, the green hue burning itself into her eyes as the demon lunged for her. She wasn't fast enough to dodge. She had no weapons, not really. And so Kohana clutched the sword tight and forced herself to stand tall. If she was going to die, it was going to be with her eyes open.

Nobu had taught her that. _Eyes open, always,_ he said. A _battle can shift in the time it takes you to blink._

Keeping her eyes open allowed her to see what happened next.

One second, she was staring at the glowing hand as it descended. The next, she was staring at Inuyasha's back, staring at the half-demon's hand as it gripped Sesshomaru wrist and prevented him from striking. From the slight widening of Sesshomaru's eyes, it was clear that Inuyasha wasn't normally able to block attacks at that speed.

Inuyasha immediately released his brother's arm and jumped backwards, grabbing Kohana as he did so.

Sesshomaru scoffed. "Even after being cursed by that dead miko, you still choose to risk your life for a _human_. You are as weak as our father was. He _died_ for your disgusting excuse for a mother; are you foolish enough to do the same for this girl?"

"Give me the sword," Inuyasha said to Kohana, holding out his hand for the Tessaiga without taking his eyes off of his brother. Sesshomaru was chuckling, now, his eyes glowing red as he bellowed:

"I shall enjoy your death, Inuyasha!"

The aristocratic features were morphing into something wilder, something decidedly less human. Kohana gasped, as Sesshomaru's body seemed to _explode_. The fine silks became thick silver fur. Where humanoid arms and legs once were, muscular canine legs emerged. His skull elongated and grew in size, his eyes burning with an untamable red heat.

A few moments later, an enormous dog stood before them, easily fifty feet high at the shoulder.

"Kohana!" Inuyasha snapped, breaking Kohana's attention away from Sesshomaru's true form. She looked at the sword and then back to him.

"But why? Look at it," she asked, trying not to sound as hopeless as she felt. Inuyasha looked at the weapon, reaching out to grip the handle. The sword hummed when he did so, the energy spiking in a way that made gooseflesh appear on Kohana's arms. It hadn't done that before.

"It's _my_ turn to protect _you_ ," Inuyasha gruffly stated.

Kohana didn't have time to marvel because when he said those words, the Tessaiga _sang_. In an instant the eroded metal of the sword disappeared, in its place a huge blade that curved like a fang and gleamed as if it had been recently polished.

"Uh…yeah, go get him," Kohana quickly amended, and Inuyasha didn't need to be told twice. Hefting the Tessaiga in his hands, he whipped around and leapt towards the giant dog.

Sesshomaru roared, pouncing forward and reaching out with sharp claws as if to bat the blade away. But as he did so, Inuyasha let out a thunderous yell, ducking to the side and letting his blade swipe upwards and across the daiyoukai's . The metal cut through the fur and flesh seamlessly, slicing through the bone like it was nothing more than a toothpick.

The dog howled in agony as his left arm was cleanly separated from his body.

" _Damn_ ," Kohana gasped, feeling Myoga hop back onto her shoulder—unsurprisingly, he had run away the moment she took the Tessaiga out of its place on the podium.

Blood poured heavily from the wound, splattering on the ground in thick puddles. Kohana pressed against the wall, unable to look away as Inuyasha delivered another blow to the dog's chest. Sesshomaru howled again, eyes wild with shock and pain, and with one last snarl he dove into the air, flying upwards and out of the top of the skull—he must have used poison to weaken the bone because he ripped through it rather easily.

Jaken yelped at the realization that he was being left behind and used his staff to exert a large amount of demon energy, sending him shooting upwards into the air after his master.

Kohana gracelessly sank to the ground once they were gone, her butt hitting the ground rather roughly. She looked to Inuyasha, who was gazing adoringly at the Tessaiga. The ability to speak escaped her and so she simply let her head fall backwards onto the wall. The lack of adrenaline let her body finally register the deep, all-encompassing exhaustion. Sleeping in the skeleton of a dead dog demon wasn't so bad, right?

"Oi, don't fall asleep," Inuyasha barked. Kohana opened her eyes, craning her neck in order to look up at the half-demon. He put the sword into its scabbard, and _that_ process was enough to force a laugh out of her. The scabbard was an inch across at most, and yet when Inuyasha moved to put the sword into it, the blade shrunk back down to its original rusty state as it was slid into the sheath.

"Why even bother learning about physics?" she asked to no one in particular, laughing again. Inuyasha frowned down at her for a moment before crouching down and peering into her face.

"You gonna sit there and laugh all day, or can we leave?"

"Are you _sure_ I can't take a nap? Like, not even a long one—ten minutes?" Kohana whined, and Inuyasha growled in exasperation.

"For fuck's sake," Inuyasha grumbled before grabbing her arms and hoisting her to her feet. Kohana groaned but obediently stayed upright. The half-demon sighed before turning around, kneeling down to offer her his back.

"Get on," he ordered, and Kohana was too eager to get out of the weird creepy afterlife world and back into reality to argue. She climbed onto his back and he quickly stood, his hands firmly gripping under her knees.

"Hold tight," he suggested.

Kohana snorted. "Wait, there are no seatbelts? I'm expected to hold on…with my _hands_? I thought that when getting carried by a demon boy, you just say _fuck_ _it_ to common sense! Are you telling me that I _don't_ do that—"

Inuyasha jumped straight up, so suddenly that she was almost ejected from her seat as the wind whipped by them. Only the half-demon's hold on her knees kept her secure. Kohana screamed, flinging her body forward and her arms around his upper chest. She felt a rumble vibrate through his torso—that fucker was _laughing_ at her!

They finally landed on the outside of Inu no Taisho's skull. Kohana sputtered as Inuyasha glanced back at her oh-so-innocently.

"Whatever happened to protecting me, huh?" Kohana demanded, pushing upwards with her hands so she could peer around Inuyasha's shoulder and directly into his face.

Inuyasha shrugged. "It ain't my fault you've got no common sense."

"That was a _joke_! Of course I have common sense…do you not get what _sarcasm_ is?"

"No, I have _no idea_ what sarcasm is. Is it a kind of flower?" Inuyasha drawled, and Kohana let out humorless huff of laughter as she settled into her position on his back.

"It's official; you're the worst."


	10. Chapter 9: Miscalculations

Here's the next one!

This chapter felt SO IFFY to me, so please, for the love of Inuyasha's cute (AF) ears, **LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK**!

 _ **Aka...PLEASE REVIEW! =)**_

* * *

Chapter 9: Miscalculation

* * *

"Three _days_? Are you fucking _serious_?"

Kohana sat on the rim of the well, resisting the urge to yawn as she impassively watched Inuyasha rant and flail in her general direction. It was early morning, and all Kohana wanted was to go home, sleep, and then spend some time with her family before launching headfirst into the quest for the Jewel shards. Was that too much to ask?

For a normal, well-balanced _human_ , the answer would be _no_.

Kohana let out a sigh of exasperation. It was like he didn't even hear her, sometimes. One minute, he was shooting snarky quips at her for comments he heard from _hundreds_ of feet away. The next, he was a deaf, aging dog that barked incessantly at anything that moved. It was equal parts fascinating and _annoying_.

"Inuyasha, I _promise_ I'll be back in three days. I need new clothes; we both know the priestess get-up isn't my speed. What I mean is…" Kohana held up a hand to prevent Inuyasha from asking what she meant—she needed to be better about using slang around feudal folk. "If I'm going to be useful on this journey, I need to prepare. I need to brush up on training, which means sparring with Nobu and—"

Inuyasha cut her off. "Keh, _sparring_? That's a joke, right? You wouldn't last two seconds in a fight, even against a human!" he taunted, gesturing to her body in a way that was clearly meant to make a point.

Kohana's teeth ground together loudly but she didn't rise to his bait. An idea occurred to her, a _wonderful_ idea. She didn't speak, just stood up and took a step towards Inuyasha, taking care to make her face open and innocent. Her fingers tangled together as if she was too nervous to stand still.

Nobu had taught her this technique early on in their training; if a tiny, fragile girl is what her opponent expected, then a tiny, fragile girl she would be. By the time they realized their mistake, the battle would already be over.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry…" Kohana said softly, _sweetly_ even.

Inuyasha was shocked enough that he just stared dumbly down at her. She smiled, the slow smile that Kagome gave when she wanted Hojo to kiss her, and inwardly cackled at the confused blush that rose to Inuyasha's cheeks.

Before the half-demon could step away and ask what the hell she was doing, Kohana gripped his shoulders and swung herself around him, the weight of her lower body giving her enough momentum to twist his torso and send him sprawling. As he fell, she reached down and slid Tessaiga from its sheath. For a half-demon who had been living on his own for a hundred years, he was surprisingly easy to disarm.

Maybe he wasn't used to carrying a sword, yet? He had only been carrying Tessaiga for a few hours, so it was entirely possible.

This maneuver ended with Kohana straddling his ribcage, pinning his dominant hand (the right, if Kohana had judged correctly) and holding Tessaiga to his throat. The sword was in its rusty state, but the point was made; she had managed to steal his weapon without him noticing.

Inuyasha's flabbergasted expression was quite possibly the funniest thing Kohana had ever seen, and that counted the time a bird had taken an _enormous_ shit on Nobu's head in the middle of a katana demonstration.

Kohana cackled victoriously before setting Tessaiga down by his head and getting to her feet.

"I'll see you in three days, Inuyasha."

Kohana walked to the well and was about to jump in when Inuyasha's clawed hand curled around her upper arm.

"Yes?" she asked impatiently, waiting for him to start yelling at her again. But oddly enough, he didn't. He just looked at her, his eyes scanning her face as if seeing it for the first time. His grip tightened slightly and his mouth opened as if to speak. But then something darkened in his gaze. It wasn't from anger, but it must have been something significant because without a word Inuyasha shoved his hands into his large sleeves and turned away; a clear dismissal.

Kohana rolled her eyes as slid off of the lip of the well and into the swirling lavender light that would take her home.

Inuyasha had clearly wanted to say something, but it was impossible to try and guess what it had been—for all Kohana knew, she had a clump of dirt on her cheek and he had been debating on whether to inform her of its existence.

As delightfully whimsical as that idea was, Kohana had the nagging feeling it was something more important. But she couldn't allow herself to worry about that. She was going home to _not_ think about Inuyasha, and besides…if he really needed something he would ask. The grumpy half-demon was nothing if not blunt.

In an instant she was in the 21st century well. She managed to land on her feet, which was a definite improvement from last time. A short climb later and she was exiting the well house. The stone bricks that made up the shrine courtyard were swept, which meant that Souta had already done his chore. He tended to do his chores early in the morning during summer vacation so he could spend more time with his friends and playing video games. Kagome was probably inside doing some arts and crafts for the summer camp she volunteered at—she was hoping to be a teacher, someday.

Kohana sighed happily, lifting her arms and spinning in several slow circles, basking in the familiar smell of _home_.

* * *

The first day was _lovely_. Kohana showered, got to eat a home-cooked meal, and updated the family as to what had happened in the two days she had been gone. After spending most of the afternoon napping and catching up with Kagome, she even found the time to fill a durable feudal-adventure backpack with toiletries, medical supplies, energy bars, spare clothing and a big box of matches. She went to bed that first night feeling incredible and looking forward to two more days of normality.

Of course, those relaxing days never came into pass.

It was all ruined on the morning of the second day. Kohana had agreed to go with Kagome to a movie—she relished the idea of sitting in padded chairs, surrounded by normal humans and wonderful technology. They spent an hour getting ready and had just walked out of the house when Kagome let out a loud squeak.

"Um, Kohana?" she whispered, and Kohana turned to see what she was pointing at. An irritatingly familiar half-demon was crouched by the well-house, sniffing at it curiously.

" _Inuyasha_!" Kohana seethed as she marched over to where Inuyasha stood. The half-demon blinked at her for a moment and Kohana realized that he was staring at her outfit. She felt her cheeks heat up, and scowled to try and offset the warmth in her skin.

Kohana was wearing one of the only dresses that she felt confident in—a simple blue sundress that, according to Kagome, complimented her eyes and enhanced what little curves she had. She was also wearing her favorite girly shoes, a comfortable but cute pair of wedge heels.

Kagome cleared her throat; the girl had come up to stand next to her, effortlessly beautiful in her red and white patterned dress. Inuyasha turned his attention to Kagome, and Kohana pretended not to see the puzzled comparison his eyes made between the two girls. Swallowing back the sudden bitterness in her throat, Kohana rubbed her face with a hand before making the introductions.

"Asshole, this is Kagome, my sister. Kagome, this is Inuyasha."

Inuyasha snorted disbelievingly. "You two are related? How?"

It was clear that Inuyasha knew it without needing to ask. He must have said it because Kagome was clearly much more developed, more _feminine_ than Kohana was. Just what Kohana needed— _more_ reminders that her body was lacking in feminine charm!

Kagome, bless her heart, put her hands on her hips and glared up at him. "We're related through _it's none of your business,_ " she snapped back.

Kohana ran both hands through her hair, suddenly exhausted. She didn't want Inuyasha around; she didn't want _any_ reminder of the feudal adventure she had signed up for! She just wanted a _break._

"Why are you here, Inuyasha?" she asked tiredly, and Inuyasha scowled.

"You _said_ that you'd be training! Why are you all dressed up, then? Were you even planning on coming back?" he accused, and Kagome's chest swelled with anger. Before her stubborn friend could speak, Kohana put a hand on her arm and shook her head.

"It's okay, Kagome. He's right, I _did_ tell him I'd be training," she began, but Kagome let out a dismissive snort, cutting in before Kohana could continue.

"I don't _care_ what you told him! Listen up, buddy," Kagome demanded, stepping forward to poke Inuyasha in the chest. "Firstly, my sister isn't related by blood, but she's still family so don't even try to make that an issue. Secondly, if you think that you can march through that stupid well and tell Kohana how to act, _think again_. You've known her for what, five days? I've been her best friend for ten _years_. Why should I even trust you with her safety? Why shouldn't I call a renovator right now and have him destroy the well-house? Yeah, yeah, I know, you have to _get the Jewel shards_ and _become a full-blooded demon_ , but ya know what? I don't give a single _shit_ about the jewel, or what you want to do with it. I care about _her_."

Kagome gestured to Kohana, who was equally tempted to hide her face and grin widely.

She loved Kagome in all her forms, but she would be lying if she said that she didn't get a burst of pride when Kagome tapped into the blunt, brutal side of herself—a side that she blamed entirely on Kohana's influence. _This_ was the Kagome that very few people got to see. Honestly, Inuyasha should be honored that he was witnessing a fiercely indignant Kagome on day one of knowing her. Most people at school didn't even think Kagome knew how to swear, much less how to flay someone alive using nothing but her words.

Inuyasha's face was almost as dumbfounded as it had been the previous morning when Kohana bested him. He backed up a step as Kagome advanced, jabbing her finger into his chest several more times as she continued:

"And _lastly_ ; if she chooses to go back to your time, remember that it's out of the _goodness_ of her pretty little heart. So stop treating her like a doormat because so help me, if you do, I will skin you alive and make you into an _actual_ doormat!" Kagome promised darkly.

The half-demon was leaning away from the girl, now, his eyes wide and his face contorted into an odd combination of horror and disbelief.

"Just so we're clear!" Kagome said cheerfully before turning to Kohana, the threatening expression melting away as if it had never even been there. "I'll meet you at the theater, kay? I'll grab the seats and the popcorn."

With that, Kagome flipped her long, glossy black hair over her shoulder and flounced away to the shrine stairs.

Kohana laughed weakly. "Aren't you glad Kikyo's soul chose _me_? Imagine…in another universe, _Kagome_ could be the one that gets sent through the well," she said lightly, still looking in the direction Kagome had gone. A low growl of distaste rumbled from Inuyasha's chest.

"She talks too much," he complained. Kohana smiled at that, stealing a glance in his direction.

Inuyasha was looking at her. Well, more specifically, her shoes. She crossed her arms defensively, which drew his attention back to her face.

"I can't train all the time, Inuyasha. No one can—everyone needs a break. _This_ is my break. I was planning on training with Nobu when I got back from the movies, but…" Kohana trailed off as a realization popped into her head.

Inuyasha had come to _see her train_! He wanted to get a better feel for her fighting style! Huh. Observation of the opponent in a neutral setting, and what's more, he planned to do so under the pretense of making sure she actually came back to his era.

Maybe Inuyasha wasn't as single-minded as he appeared.

"What?" the half-demon in question asked impatiently.

Kohana knew that she would never get Inuyasha to admit why he was there. He would find a way to eat his own _ears_ before confessing that he was there to watch her train, and he would eat _her_ ears before he admitted that he wanted to improve his own technique by watching her.

"Nothing," she hurriedly said, tucking her hair behind her ears and glancing at her wristwatch. If she was going to make the movie, she had to leave in a minute or so.

"So…I'll see you when I get back? You can watch me get my ass handed to me by Nobu," she offered.

Inuyasha shrugged noncommittally. "Whatever."

Taking that as a yes, Kohana walked away, ignoring the urge to look back to see if he was watching her leave. He was probably off investigating the rest of the property; there was no reason to assume he'd look at her twice, even if she _was_ wearing her most flattering dress.

She made it down the first couple of steps before she cracked. It wouldn't hurt to take one look, right? Trying to make it casual, she quickly glanced over her shoulder.

Inuyasha staring up at the oval of smooth wood on the Go-Shin-Boku, his long silver hair rippling behind him as a strong breeze blew through the courtyard. His golden eyes were pensively fixed on the tiny groove where Kikyo's arrow had pierced the wood—in this time, a little more than four hundred years had passed since then.

As if he could feel her eyes on him, Inuyasha tilted his head slightly to meet her gaze. Kohana's chest clenched at the mortifying realization that she had been caught looking back at him to see if _he_ was looking at _her_. Face burning, she quickly turned around, jogging down the stairs in her haste to escape.

Considering that she was in three-inch heels, it was quite the feat.

* * *

After the movie, Kagome went off to meet Hojo, which left Kohana to walk home alone. It was noon by the time she reached her street. She was surprised to find Nobu standing at the top of the stairs.

How had he known when to walk out and wait for her? Or had he been standing there for a while?

"Hey!" Kohana greeted, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly, nuzzling his nose into her hair in the way he always did when he was on edge. Kohana had long since gotten used to it, but in that moment it struck her as something…odd? Not odd, but something that made her skin prickle as if she were being exposed to something cold. She ignored the feeling, not sure what was wrong with her, and was glad to be distracted when Nobu spoke.

"I see that we have company. I have to assume that he's deaf, because didn't you quite clearly say _three_ days?" he asked, rolling his eyes as Inuyasha's voice rang from across the courtyard.

"I _heard_ that!"

Kohana peered around her uncle, surprised to see Inuyasha leaning against the dojo door, his eyes narrowed as he watched Nobu.

"You stayed?" she was shocked into saying. Inuyasha didn't reply, turning his head away to better inspect his claws. Nobu kept an arm around Kohana as the two of them approached the dojo—their apartment was on the second floor.

Nobu looked Inuyasha in the eye, his eyes narrowing in a way that made Kohana wonder if the two had spoken while she was gone. His next words made it clear that no, they hadn't.

"I trust that you've been keeping my niece safe, Inuyasha."

It wasn't a question. Kohana looked up at Nobu, perplexed at his blatant aggression. Sure, Inuyasha was an ass, but usually Nobu was at least _cordial_ to people he didn't like. This level of disdain was extremely strange, especially after only meeting him once.

Inuyasha stared back at him, hesitantly sniffing in Nobu's direction. Her uncle sucked in a quick breath at the half-demon's movement, and Kohana frowned when she felt Nobu's hand tighten around her shoulder. What in the hell was wrong with him, today?

"Okayyyy, I'm gonna go ahead and interrupt this really weird staring contest," Kohana announced before stepping forward to stand in between them for a long moment before moving towards the dojo.

"And to answer that question; _really_? Three days off my regular training routine and suddenly I'm a damsel in distress? I'm a teensy bit offended, Uncle," Kohana threw over her shoulder as she unlocked the door. "If you look closely enough, you'll see that my heart is bleeding. It'll soak through my dress soon, so I'm gonna go change."

Clutching a hand dramatically to her chest, Kohana stood aside and used her free hand to firmly push a sputtering Inuyasha into the dojo before following, closing the door behind her.

Inuyasha bristled. "Why am I being dragged along? I ain't scared of that guy!"

Kohana just stared at him, unconvinced. Inuyasha managed to meet her gaze for several long seconds before he glanced away, his ears dipping slightly. Something Kohana was noticing was that his ears were the best signifiers of his feelings—he was surprisingly good at hiding his emotions on his face and in his tone, but his ears seemed to be an instinctual reflection of his mood. Kohana noted that for later study and shook her head as she walked past Inuyasha and up the stairs.

"Look, for some reason having you here is making Nobu nervous. So just…back off, okay? He's super protective, and you're a dangerous half-demon that could kill me if I'm not careful."

Inuyasha paused on the stairwell, his brow furrowing as he eyed her suspiciously.

"You think I'm dangerous? _You_?"

Kohana couldn't help it; she laughed.

"Shocking right? I actually have common sense! But yeah, if I didn't look like—I mean, if I couldn't sense shards, you would have killed me by now, so…"

Inuyasha's expression didn't change, but something in his stance seemed to shift, ever so slightly. With a casual shrug that felt forced, Kohana slipped into her room to change. The moment the door hid her from view Kohana pressed her back against it, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor.

Why, _why_ was she so bad at this? One minute she was telling Inuyasha to stay and watch her spar, wondering if he liked her dress. The next, she was crushing his attempts to connect with her by implying that he was just waiting to kill her until the shards were collected.

She wondered if the universe had fucked up, somehow, by having Kikyo's soul choose her as its reincarnation. Kagome would have made a much better heroine for this feudal tale; she was brave while still being gentle, and was selfless in ways that Kohana would never be.

Inuyasha's footsteps approached the door, and a weight settled against the lower half. He must be sitting against it in the same way she was. The wild thought that they were mirroring each other made Kohana push away from the wood, furiously pulling off her dress and yanking on her workout gear.

Sparring with Nobu would help take her mind off of this—whatever _this_ was.

It had to.


	11. Chapter 10: Instinct

I am on a ROLL.

This is where the story takes a definite turn in regards to canon, people! Well, in terms of CHARACTER it does. Until the entire group gets together (aka Shippo, Miroku and Sango) events will stay mostly canon just for the sake of getting everyone together. But fear not, things won't be EXACTLY the same...bwahahaha!

I'm not gonna get all hissy and say "oh if I dont get reviews I wont write" - I love writing this story so much that I'll write it even if I'm the only one reading it - but it would be great if I could hear from more of you! Considering that this isnt one of my more popular stories, I dont really get a feeling for who's reading, so let's make some noise! I want to hear your ideas/comments - they give me a sense of what's working and what's not!

If you want more ASAP...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 10: Instinct

* * *

For the next hour, Kohana managed to ignore Inuyasha for the most part. Nobu was his usual strict self, and his lack of concern for Inuyasha's presence in the dojo—at first, anyway—helped Kohana relax into their usual routine. It almost started to feel normal, after a while.

Inuyasha sat as still as a stone statue in the sitting area, absorbing every movement with sharp, unblinking eyes. He hadn't been outside her door when she emerged to start training; Kohana wondered if he had sensed her need for space and escaped downstairs to wait.

Nobu was going harder on her than usual. Although he hadn't looked once in Inuyasha's direction since they began, Kohana had a feeling it was because of the half-demon's presence. Her arms were trembling with exhaustion towards the end, and sweat dripped down her face and neck as she crouched to block one of Nobu's attacks. They were using wooden staffs that were a traditional training tool—they allowed for more brutal training sessions due to the lack of blades involved.

Her uncle landed a particularly hard hit on her shoulder and without knowing why, her gaze flickered to Inuyasha. He was watching her with that same piercing gaze, only this time there was a flicker of emotion behind those eyes. His body tensed as if to rise but his movement was interrupted by Nobu's imperious shout.

" _He can't help you!_ " her uncle yelled, and Kohana's vision went white when another blow came, this time to her jaw. It was harder than Nobu had ever hit her, harder than she had thought a human man was capable of. She yelped as she hit the mat, instinctively rolling into a crouch as far away as she could get. The coppery taste of blood pooled in her mouth; she must have bitten her tongue.

"Bastard!" Inuyasha snarled, and Kohana's head snapped up just in time to see the half-demon leap at Nobu. Her head was spinning, which gave the scene before her a very dream-like quality. Nobu bared his teeth as he met Inuyasha's attack, his eyes dark and dangerous as he advanced. Nobu must have hit her harder than usual because it almost seemed like he was matching Inuyasha's speed.

"Inuyasha, stop," Kohana gasped, steadying herself against the wall as she gingerly stood up.

Both men ignored her.

An instant later, Nobu sent his staff swinging into his opponent's ribs so hard that even Inuyasha couldn't hold back the groan of pain. Kohana blinked away the fuzziness, her shock quickly being replaced with anger.

Nobu had hit her that hard on purpose. He had _goaded_ Inuyasha into action, and for what? So he could take out his frustration on someone?

A deep vibration of energy hummed in her chest, then, and the back of her neck tingled. Inuyasha slammed into the ground, Nobu's hand around his throat. The older man stared the half-demon down with such intensity that for a moment Kohana felt genuine fear. It was the same look Sesshomaru had given her when she refused to give her the Tessaiga, and that comparison pushed her into action.

She ran forward, jumping onto her uncle's back and locking her arms around Nobu's neck, yanking backwards with such force that the man was forced to release Inuyasha. Without giving him a chance to react, Kohana kicked hard at his kneecap, hearing a pop and pushing off of him when he crumpled to his knees.

Inuyasha was on his feet immediately, but didn't step forward to help as he expected. Kohana didn't waste time analyzing it, too busy punching her uncle solidly in the mouth. Her knuckles stung, even through the cloth bandaging, but it was worth it.

" _Enough_!" Kohana snapped when Nobu looked up at her. The fury was gone from his dark eyes, replaced with shock.

Kohana realized that her teeth were bared and frowned, stepping back from him and uncurling her hands from their clawed position. She didn't look away from her uncle as she went on:

"If you _ever_ use me to provoke Inuyasha again, I will leave this house and never come back. I'm not a pawn in your fucked up chess game. Inuyasha is my _friend_ and keeps me safe—I thought you two would have that in common. Guess I was wrong," she seethed.

With one last glare, Kohana threw the staff down at her feet and stormed out of the dojo, not caring how broken Nobu looked as he stared at his niece's abandoned weapon.

Once outside, she felt hot wetness pricking at her eyes but refused to acknowledge it. She just kept walking, sucking in deep breaths to try and keep her the tears at bay. Nobu was her family, and yet she had felt such _glee_ at hurting him. The popping of his kneecap had filled her with such a sense of triumph. For a few brief seconds he ceased to be her guardian.

He had been an enemy.

Kohana reached the Go-Shin-Boku, and that's when her tears escaped the span of her control. She ducked around the back of the tree, away from prying eyes, and let go.

A choked sob ripped through her throat. She knew that Inuyasha could probably hear her but at that moment she didn't care. Her legs refused to hold her, her body weighed down with her guilt and her grief. The grass met her knees and she leaned her forehead against the rough bark of the tree's trunk. Blindly, she slammed her hand against the tree over and over again, feeling splinters bite into the skin of her palm.

* * *

Inuyasha wasn't sure what he felt as he watched Kohana throw her weapon down and walk outside. Seeing her jump onto Nobu—her uncle, her _family_ —and viciously attack him had sparked something deep within him, something he hadn't felt since his mother died.

 _Pack_ , a little voice nagged at him, but he pushed it away like he did most of those annoying instincts that fucked with his brain at the worst times. He didn't need a stupid _pack_ , and he had a century and a half of survival to prove it.

But still, the nagging feeling persisted.

Kikyo had never treated him like pack, but then again, she had never treated him like a half-demon. She had treated him like a man who happened to have extraordinary fighting abilities. He remembered feeling the urge to run his nose along the curve of her neck when he held her close that day on the docks. Most common-folk thought it to be preparation for the kill but it was actually a gesture of affection between packmates. It was one of the only dog-demon customs that his mother had taught him—as a human woman, it was strange that she knew any of them. Izayoi herself had been surprised that his father trusted her enough to reveal such intimate details of his demon nature.

Inuyasha had resisted that instinctual urge with Kikyo, because somehow he knew that she wouldn't take it well. She wasn't a demon; she was a delicate human woman that he had to embrace and kiss with such care because one too-tight grip of his hands would cause his claws to pierce her soft skin.

The half-demon's ears perked up at the sound of a raw, broken sob in the distance, and he knew without having to see that it was Kohana. Nobu flinched as if he too could hear the sound, and that made Inuyasha's eyes narrow.

The human man had kept up with him. Normally that wouldn't surprise him, but unlike most fights with humans, Inuyasha hadn't been holding back. What _was_ he? He smelled like a human man, but like with Kohana, there was this ever-changing hint of something else. It disappeared the moment he focused on it, but in that fight, it had crept to the forefront.

"Does she know you're not human?" Inuyasha barked, and Nobu's head lifted up immediately. The man's shaggy brown hair partially concealed his equally dark eyes. He remained silent, but the lack of an immediate response was answer enough.

Nobu glanced at the door before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I apologize for the provocation. It was the foolish test of a concerned guardian wanting to see for himself if you were genuine in your desire to protect her. It was childish, yes, but it's all I have."

"You didn't answer my question," Inuyasha pressed, crossing his arms across his chest.

"No, she doesn't know. And with any luck, she won't find out for a long time."

Inuyasha frowned. "Why?"

Nobu shook his head. "Kohana is…special. If she finds out what I am, it would force me to reveal things that have been put in place to keep her safe. She is already in more danger than I would like, what with the near-constant exposure to both half-demons and demons in your world."

"I won't let anything happen to her," Inuyasha snapped, more vehemently than he intended. Nobu gave him a humorless smile before shaking his head. Something shimmered near the top of his head, and for an instant Inuyasha glimpsed large furry ears, larger than his own were. But then they were gone.

"It's not their claws or fangs I'm concerned about. With every exposure to malicious demon energy…" Nobu hesitated, then shook his head firmly. "If any demon in your world finds out what she is, she'll be in more danger than you can possibly imagine. You need to keep her safe, son of Inu no Taisho."

A cold chill trickled down Inuyasha's spine. "How the fuck do you know my father?"

Nobu didn't reply, just stared at him long enough for Inuyasha to feel the urge to fidget with unease. The man's knee appeared to be healed, because when he rose and walked to the door he did so without a limp.

"Ignorance keeps her safe," he said gently, pleadingly, and then he was gone.

Inuyasha stood there in the dojo, hearing Kohana's sobs as well as the anxious thudding of his heartbeat. Nobu wasn't human and somehow knew who is father was. The man was related to Kohana, so did that mean…?

Kohana wasn't entirely human? But she _was_ human! He smelled it on her skin every time she walked by him! Besides, she wouldn't have been able to wield priestess energy if she was a demon…right?

But he couldn't forget the way she had leapt at Nobu and clawed at him, or the way she had fearlessly stood over him and aimed an arrow at his older half-brother's face.

There was something feral inside of her, something that he hadn't seen until…Sesshomaru had arrived. Something clicked in Inuyasha's mind, and suddenly it made _sense_.

Until Sesshomaru arrived, Kohana had acted entirely human. She was scared, but she also had that very human naivety that spoke to a lack of demon instincts. But then that huge hulking demon of Sesshomaru's had arrived, and she had dropped to the ground immediately, hiding in the brush like a scared animal. When he had touched her, he found her trembling in preparation to flee. Humans couldn't sense demon energy in that way, not enough to be so physically affected by it. That lack of awareness was why so many human villages were burned—by the time they became aware of the demons, it was too late.

It wasn't entirely uncommon to have those senses as a human—those with spiritual training had a similar sort of instinct—but not to the extent Kohana had demonstrated.

Inuyasha walked out of the dojo, his nose immediately locating Kohana. She was crouched behind the Go-Shin-Boku, the salty tang of her tears wafting towards him along with the breeze. Her scent was tinged with sadness, and there it was again, that instinct to protect…to comfort.

 _Pack_ , the voice urged again, louder this time, and Inuyasha found himself jumping across the courtyard, landing a few feet behind Kohana. She didn't appear to notice his presence, too consumed by her sobs, and so Inuyasha took a moment to observe her.

The way Kohana spoke and fought made her seem much bigger than her body, so to see her curled into herself was a testament to just how _small_ she was. Not entirely lacking in feminine curves—as that interesting blue dress had unexpectedly highlighted—but definitely smaller than most humans her age.

Inuyasha took a few steps forward, unsure of what to say, but sure that he couldn't leave her alone.

He was so close that he could feel the trembling of her back against the fabric covering his legs. Kohana flinched at the touch, her spine stiffening until it was as straight as a spear. The sobs stopped but the trembling of her shoulders continued.

Inuyasha crouched down behind her and watched the tendons on her neck shift as she roughly swallowed.

"What do you want, Inuyasha?" she asked, her voice hoarse from crying. Inuyasha lowered himself into a sitting position instead of replying. She took a bit of time to compose herself before turning around to look at him.

Her eyes were red and swollen from crying but the blue color shone just as fiercely as it always did. She was so close that if she moved forward a few inches, they would be touching.

Inuyasha wondered what his mother would do in this situation. She had always been so good at comforting people, whether it was noble people who were scared of demons or her son who was mocked for being a demon himself.

Taking a deep breath, Inuyasha leaned forward and gave in to that instinct he had ignored for so many years.

Moving very slowly, so as not to startle her, Inuyasha bent down slightly in order to run the very tip of his nose up the graceful curve of Kohana's neck. A growl rumbled in his throat as he did so, almost without his permission.

Kohana remained very still as he approached, and didn't react when he touched her. Inuyasha kept waiting for her to yell and push him away but she never did.

When his nose reached the spot just below her ear, he felt and heard the sob rise from her chest. Without any warning, she threw herself into his arms and wrapped her arms around him. Her head found a place under his chin, her face burrowing into his chest as she cried.

The pleased humming in his chest increased as her small form relaxed into his body. It _should_ feel strange and wrong, because she wasn't Kikyo and she wasn't a dog-demon.

But when Kohana let out a shaky but relieved sigh, Inuyasha's unease melted away into nothing. He settled one arm against her lower back, the other pressed against the length of her spine so he could gently run his claws through the smooth strands of her hair.

Holding her was different from holding Kikyo. The priestess's arms had been more cautious, just as unsure of physical intimacy as Inuyasha himself was. That was what had drawn him to her in the first place; the innate knowledge that she was just as much an outsider as he was.

Kohana had no such hesitations. Her embrace was secure and warm, and as the seconds ticked by Inuyasha wondered if she was aware that her nose was rubbing back and forth against the hollow just above his collarbone. Considering her emotional state, he doubted it, but it still filled him with an overflowing sense of satisfaction all the same.

 _Pack._

"I know you're not Kikyo, ya know," Inuyasha said quietly. Kohana pulled back slightly, looking up at him with a decidedly less teary gaze.

It was true. The only time Inuyasha had made a significant comparison between them was that day at the cleaning pool, when he was still getting a hold on who Kohana was. It was when he saw her standing naked in the water and staring up at the sky with a melancholy expression. She had looked like Kikyo for the briefest of moments; both held the weight of the world on their shoulders.

But since then? Her eyes and short hair weren't the same, sure, but the biggest difference lay in how Kohana looked at the world. In how she looked at _him_. Like he was a complete person all on his own, instead of being only half-acceptable, only half-complete.

"Took you long enough," Kohana muttered, rubbing at her eyes with a hesitant smile. Inuyasha scoffed and let her move away from him. She got to her feet, brushing the dirt off of her legs before holding out a hand to help him up.

"You sure you can hold me?" he asked, grinning at the affronted flush that rose up the skin of her neck and into her cheeks.

"You want another demonstration, dummy?" she challenged, and Inuyasha cocked his head to the side, genuinely confused but unwilling to ask her what she meant by 'dummy'. Was she referring to the fighting dummies used for target practice? The way she said it made him think it was an insult…?

Instead of pushing the subject, he settled for rolling his eyes and reaching up so she could pull him to his feet. It wasn't effortless, but she definitely did it with more ease than he expected. She was stronger than she looked.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," Kohana said as they walked out into the open space of the courtyard in front of the Go-Shin-Boku.

Inuyasha shrugged automatically, shoving his hands into his sleeves to hide his nervousness. In the moment, his actions had felt natural, but now, outside of the moment and out in the open air, they felt like something to be guilty of. He shouldn't have given in so easily to those demon urges—his mother always warned him that those sorts of things were only to be done in the privacy of a closed room.

Kohana seemed to sense his discontent, because she looked away. He found himself following her line of sight until it reached the big house that was bathed in the scent of Kagome and several other humans.

The woman he had assumed to be Kohana's mother stood in the doorway, watching the two of them. The two looked similar, come to think of it, so he didn't think he was dumb for thinking they were related. The older woman had dark brown hair instead of black, and brown eyes instead of blue, but aside from that, she and Kohana could have been sisters. They looked more alike than Kohana and Kagome did, anyway.

"Is that your mother?" Inuyasha had to ask because what else _could_ she be?

Kohana's face sank into shadow once more as she ducked her head and took a deep breath.

"No."

That was all she said, but Inuyasha could hear years of sadness behind that single word. Kohana sent him a grim smile before walking away from him and towards the woman. Inuyasha stayed where he was, watching from afar as the two embraced. The older woman looked at him over the girl's shoulder, staring at him without blinking.

Inuyasha boldly met her gaze until the woman's focus went back to Kohana. The two humans said nothing, electing to go into the house instead. A few seconds after the door closed, a purposeful rustling of leaves came to Inuyasha's ears. He looked back to see Nobu dropping down from the higher branches of Go-Shin-Boku.

Inuyasha hadn't seen or smelled him there, even when sitting under the tree with Kohana. That meant that Nobu wasn't just any demon; he was a _fox_.

"A fox, huh? It explains why you're a twig," Inuyasha sneered, and the tall, lean man leveled an almost exasperated look at him.

"Tough words from the pup I pinned in less than thirty seconds," Nobu smoothly retorted, and there it was again, that flickering of a concealment spell. Brown fox ears appeared on top of his head. Kohana's uncle must have caught wind of Inuyasha's puzzled examination, because he frowned in concentration. The spell renewed itself, and Nobu was a human-eared man again.

"Being around another half-demon's energy disrupts my concealment spells. It's been so long since I've interacted with any demons…I've grown lazy, it seems," Nobu admitted, grinning sheepishly. Inuyasha, however, wasn't even paying attention. Only one word had caught his attention.

Nobu was a _half-demon_?

"You're a—"

Nobu nodded curtly. "Yes. I ask that you _attempt_ to be discreet."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Akira," Nobu said. When Inuyasha gave him a blank look, he quicky added, "Kagome and Souta's mother."

"Where are Kohana's parents?"

Inuyasha watched Nobu carefully for his reaction. The half fox-demon looked to the house. His dark eyes were far away, and Inuyasha found himself marveling at how seamless his human disguise was. How old was he, if his concealment spells were strong enough to successfully hide his presence from hundreds of humans for a period of ten _years_?

"I watched you comfort her…how does a loner know dog-demon pack gestures?"

Inuyasha scowled. "Are _all_ foxes this fucking evasive?"

Nobu said nothing, merely grinned. Once more, Inuyasha saw a glimpse of fox ears but this time it seemed intentional on Nobu's part. Without answering, the fox-demon walked a quick circle around Inuyasha, a predator cornering his prey.

As he passed by, Inuyasha could _swear_ that he felt something furry tickle his exposed ankle. He searched, and the flickering image of a long, furry tail came into view before blending into nothing.

Nobu was gone. One second he was there, the next he was nothing but air. Before Inuyasha had time to react, Nobu flickered back into existence, standing right behind him. The half dog-demon whipped around to face him, reaching for Tessaiga automatically.

"You have raw talent, son of Inu no Taisho, but even the most talented can waste away without proper training," Nobu commented casually. "Come to the dojo at dawn, and we'll begin. Or don't. It's your choice."

With that, Nobu moved away from him, walking towards the house. The door closed behind him, and Inuyasha was left alone in the courtyard.

Inuyasha stood there for only a moment before turning and running to the wellhouse. The glow of the well welcomed him, and the familiarity of the fields surrounding the well and the thick forests of his time soothed him more than he would have thought possible.

First, he stopped by the village to check on Kaede's scent from afar. Then, Inuyasha turned to the forests he knew so well and started running, knowing that he wouldn't stop for several hours.

He had a lot to think about.


	12. Chapter 11: Baring of Souls

Oh dear...this chapter was DIFFICULT. I mean, part of me is like "It really messes with Kohana's head and therefore is a really interesting chapter" and the other half is like "OH GOD WE'RE HEADED INTO NON-CANON TERRITORY SEND HELP".

So in short...stuff goes down in this chapter.

It's not very long, but I wanted to end the modern-visit and get us back on track in the feudal era, so here ya go. I'm working full time at the outdoor education center, so I apologize for the lack of updates. Between work, this story and Earth: Bring it Down, I have PLENTY on my plate.

If you want more ASAP...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 11: Baring of Souls

* * *

Kohana came out of her room the next morning expecting to find Nobu awake and waiting for her at the kitchen table—he always gave her a day to cool down before approaching her after a fight. But he wasn't there. It was oddly quiet for several long seconds, and then Kohana heard a crash from downstairs. The sounds of fighting were muffled, but still distinct enough for her to recognize them.

"God fucking _dammit_!" Kohana hissed before barreling down the stairs and throwing open the door to the dojo.

What she found made her jaw drop in surprise.

Inuyasha was latched onto Nobu's back, one arm around the older man's neck. Nobu was trying to grab hold of Inuyasha's leg in order to throw him off, but the half-demon nimbly evaded him.

The sight itself was shocking, sure, but the most surprising part was that Inuyasha was _laughing_. It was more of an evil cackle, to be honest, but it was still the closest to a laugh Kohana had heard from the half-demon and therefore still note-worthy.

His laugh became a pained grunt as the dojo-master threw himself against the nearest wall. Nobu snarled some very unpleasant words under his breath before doing it again, harder this time, and Inuyasha let out a weak wheeze as all the air was pushed from his lungs.

Nobu caught sight of Kohana at the door.

"Good morning!" he said cheerfully before slamming his back into the wall once more, which was all Inuyasha could take; he slid to the ground in a gasping heap.

"Uh…" Kohana gestured wildly to the scene before her as she trailed off. Nobu shook his shoulders to loosen them, grinning tiredly as he nodded towards the silver-haired boy on the floor.

"I've switched tactics," he said before turning to the half-demon. "Next time, don't stay in the same place when I wise up and start utilizing your position. Stubbornness isn't the end-all; adapt or you lose."

As Nobu finished his critique, he met Kohana's eye. She saw the apology in his expression and let out a sigh before smiling at him. The fact that he had decided to train Inuyasha instead of fight him at every turn was apology enough.

Inuyasha was peering up at her legs with an oddly focused expression. She looked down, trying to see what was so fascinating, but all she found were her sleeping shorts…?

Maybe Inuyasha was freaked out by legs that didn't have hair on them? In her days in the feudal era, Kohana had quickly realized that the women of the time did _not_ shy away from body hair. It made sense, since the idea of shaving legs or underarms hadn't been introduced, but it had still startled Kohana at first.

Needless to say, shaving was one modern practice that she would most _definitely_ be taking with her to the past. She had packed several disposable shaving razors in her pack and refused to feel even the slightest bit of shame. Some girls could handle having hairy underarms and legs, but Kohana wasn't one of them.

Nobu seemed to know better than to offer Inuyasha a hand up because he turned and grabbed a towel to wipe his face, leaving the half-demon to his own devices. He leaned down to brush his nose against Kohana's before moving past her and walking upstairs—presumably to shower and eat breakfast.

The sharpness to Inuyasha's golden gaze made Kohana frown.

"What?" she asked, automatically on the defensive.

Inuyasha cocked his head slightly to the side. "Have you guys always done that? The nose thing?"

Something in his tone irked her; it was as if he already knew the answer to his own question. But despite the suspicion rising in her gut she decided to answer anyway.

"Nobu's a touchy guy, always has been. Why do you ask?"

Inuyasha glanced away, his expression as blank as if he hadn't said anything in the first place. The motion was so _Nobu_ that Kohana scowled before leaning back and calling up the stairs:

"Nobu, Inuyasha's starting to do that _thing_!" she whined.

As expected, her uncle's response was immediate.

"What, being utterly and damnably charming? What can I say, I'm an excellent teacher!"

Kohana scoffed. "Yeah, _no_. He's being vague and suspiciously nosy. If he spends much more time around you, he might actually start _making jokes_!" she yelled back.

Inuyasha snorted before getting to his feet, stretching and yawning in such a way that showed off his sharp fangs. He caught her staring at them and his face immediately became guarded again.

"So you're coming back to the well with me?"

Kohana nodded as she leaned against the stairway railing. "Yup. I've got a bag packed and everything. I was even thinking about bringing my bike with me, so I can at least _try_ not to slow you down, but…yeah I'm way too attached to that thing to just toss it into the well will-nilly."

The half-demon blinked. "Willy-nilly…?"

She shook her head. " _Yes,_ I'm coming with you. Friends, remember?" she added, leaning over and lightly punching him in the arm. Ignoring his frown of confusion at the gesture, Kohana made her way back up the stairs.

Inuyasha didn't follow her, so she assumed he was either going to stay in the dojo or go wait for her near the well-house.

After taking a quick shower and changing into clean exercise clothes, she sat down to eat breakfast. Nobu didn't speak for a while, reading the newspaper but clearly clocking her progress on her meal because the moment she finished, he set the paper down and pressed his fingers together into a curved steeple. Kohana raised a brow, waiting for him to speak.

"I have something for you. I meant to give it to you on your birthday, but yeah…things went to shit," Nobu said wryly. Kohana laughed a little— _shit_ was a bit of an understatement.

The man reached back to open a small cabinet, the top of which housed the kitchen orchid—Mama Higurashi had gotten Nobu into flowers and shrubs a few years ago, when Kohana was starting high school, and ever since Nobu made a point of having them all over the apartment.

After a few moments of fumbling he returned with a small parcel in his hand. It was rather unconventionally wrapped; instead of wrapping paper, the covering was beautifully embroidered silk.

Kohana accepted it, running her fingers over the picture sewn into the fabric—a fox sitting beneath a cherry tree in full bloom, watching a pure white dove fly away into the sky.

At Nobu's bidding, Kohana gingerly untied the twine and unwrapped the gift, careful not to crease the silk. Her breath hitched when the gift was revealed.

Two beautiful daggers glimmered up at her, linked together by a leather belt whose purpose—she assumed—was to hold them on her person. The weapons were simple things, lacking in decoration save for the small holes at the end of the handle. Inside the spaces were marble-sized sapphires, smoothed so that they didn't catch on anything. Kohana moved to test the grip of one of them and was shocked when it fit her hand perfectly. Like, _perfectly_. The leather was worn, she realized, and when she looked closer she found smooth indents that matched her fingers. How was that possible?

Nobu cleared his throat, which distracted Kohana enough for her to put aside her confusion.

"Your parents had those made for you when you were born. Your father wanted…" Nobu paused, his mouth pursing in an attempt to remain unmoved, the way it did whenever he talked about Kohana's father. Nobu and Satoshi had been very close, Mama Higurashi said, and the pain of losing him was fresh even after ten years.

Kohana set the dagger down and went to hug Nobu, hating herself for not being able to share in his grief.

"Thank you, Nobu. I'll make good use of them," she promised. The man chuckled, standing from his seat and leaning down to give her an obnoxiously loud kiss on the cheek.

"Ugh!" Kohana groaned, wiping at her face with her shirt. She couldn't help but smile when she looked at her present, though. She had always preferred simplicity where weapon aesthetics were concerned, and these knives were exactly that—simple but still beautiful.

Nobu watched her admire the daggers for a moment before saying goodbye.

"Akira wants to try her hand at archery," was his proud explanation.

Kohana's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? Huh…well I guess that explains a few things," she said simply, and Nobu's eyes narrowed at her innocent tone.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Kohana tried very hard to keep a straight face. "Well, it's just…it took you _ten years_ to finally convince Mama to let you show her the ropes. I'm just saying that this could be a wake up call to the fact that _maybe_ you're not as charming as you think you— _ah_!"

Nobu had lunged across the table to try and grab her. Kohana only just managed to snag her knives out of the silk package as she dodged his attempt. The table and counter deterred her uncle and so the girl was able to securely tuck the sheathed weapons into one of her jacket's larger pockets.

"You love me, remember?" she shrieked as she slung her traveling backpack over her shoulders, hazardously attempting to dive towards the stairs as she did so—Nobu was _fast_.

"Oh yeah, like _that's_ gonna save you!"

* * *

Twenty minutes later, a very disgruntled Kohana walked out of the dojo, hair mussed from where Nobu had rubbed it in that painful way of his. She was about to make her way towards the well-house when she caught sight of Inuyasha.

He was standing in front of the Go-Shin-Boku again.

Shouldering her pack, Kohana made her way towards him. The only sign that Inuyasha noticed her was the slight tilt of his ears at the sound of her approach.

A breeze blew, rustling the tree's leaves. Kohana looked past him to follow his line of sight; he was staring at the weathered oval that marked the spot of his cursed sleep. If she focused, she could see a tiny nick where Kikyo's arrow had burrowed into the wood.

Inuyasha glanced down at her as she came up beside him, but it was only for a brief moment. His eyes instantly found the tree again, the golden hue darkened with some deep emotion that she couldn't even begin to make sense of.

Gently setting her pack down, Kohana moved forward to touch the trunk's bark. It was warm from the summer sun and for a moment Kohana expected to feel a jolt of some sort, or perhaps Kikyo's mindset pushing through and making her presence known. But all she felt were the rough ridges of bark that melded into silky smooth wood once she reached the large oval.

"Is it weird knowing that this tree exists in the future?" she asked.

"I'm not stuck to it; that's all I care about," Inuyasha scoffed. His hair billowed around his shoulders as the wind picked up and the glow of the early afternoon sun cast dim shadows on his face.

"It's weird for me, now that I've been in your time. It makes me think of Kikyo," Kohana blurted out. She didn't dare look at Inuyasha to see his reaction. He didn't say anything, and for some reason his silence gave her the courage to continue.

"Now, every time I come near the tree, I can't help but look at that spot—" Kohana paused to point to a spot of the courtyard directly across from the tree, taking a few steps away from Inuyasha as she did so. "—and feel this awful twist in my stomach. I don't know how I know, but that's where Kikyo stood when she shot you. I get flashes of her feelings from that day…and more than anything I wish I could just _talk_ to her. If I could, maybe I could find out what went wrong."

"She lied to me," Inuyasha bitterly stated. Kohana hadn't expected the half-demon to reply, and so her attention immediately returned to his face as a result of her surprise.

He was staring at the spot across the courtyard, his golden eyes years away. The boy's fangs glinted menacingly in the light and yet Kohana wasn't afraid. Perhaps facing off against Sesshomaru had magically given her a backbone when it came to demons. Gods, she hoped so.

"Lied?" she asked softly.

Inuyasha was quiet for a long time. His tone was curt and carefully lacking in emotion when he finally said:

"We were going to get married, live normal lives together. That day, the day she…we were going to use the Jewel to turn me into a human. But then, on my way to meet her, she attacked me in the forest. Called me a disgusting half-breed. I should have known that it was a lie."

Kohana couldn't help it—she took Inuyasha's hand. She wasn't quite sure what drove her to do so; perhaps it was because he had comforted her the day before and she felt the unspoken obligation to reciprocate. Maybe it was the bidding of the piece of Kikyo's soul that still cared for him, the bit that had allowed Kohana to release him from the priestess seal.

Either way, she wasn't able to look at Inuyasha in the detached way she did before. The shift in attitude—and in such a short amount of time—both baffled and terrified her. She _wanted_ to believe that it was her own change of thought, but what if it wasn't? What if every protective impulse and positive feeling was a result of Kikyo's influence?

Inuyasha's hand tightened around her much smaller one, his fingers calloused and warm, and Kohana found that in that moment she didn't care if Kikyo was to blame for the ever-growing need to protect the boy standing beside her.

"If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't change a single thing about you," the girl admitted, her cheeks burning even before she finished speaking.

Inuyasha turned to look at her, then, and in his eyes was that same spark of suspicion that had appeared when Kohana openly admired his demonic traits. But something in her face must have convinced him of her sincerity because his expression slowly shifted.

The girl stared unabashedly at him, because he was _smiling_. Not his usual cocky smirk or derisive sneer but an actual _smile_. It was small and hesitant, but present all the same.

Seemingly unaware of Kohana's stunned reaction, Inuyasha slowly reached out with his other hand in order to trace a single finger along the curve of her face.

The sharpness of his claw didn't even factor into the motion; to Kohana, the gesture was so intimate that she had to fight _so hard_ to resist the urge to lean into the touch. Instead, she forced her body to remain still even as her heart hammered out a frantic, thudding rhythm against her ribs.

Inuyasha's eyes moved lower and a sudden chill slipped down Kohana's spine when she realized that he was looking at her lips.

The thought that he might kiss her was what broke the spell; she pulled her hand away. She plastered an unassuming smile on her face as she bent down to re-shoulder her backpack.

By the time Kohana straightened, Inuyasha's smile had vanished and his hands had dropped to his sides. He gave his head a quick shake before taking a step back, so quickly that it was as if he had been burned. The girl couldn't help but wonder if he had come to the same conclusion she had, but at the same time knew better than to even _consider_ asking—she had done enough damage for one day.

"We should get going," Kohana suggested before turning to march towards the well-house. She heard him follow behind, more slowly than she was expecting. When she glanced over her shoulder she found him staring at the Go-Shin-Boku as he walked. The sight sent a pang of bitterness into her heart and so she quickly turned back around.

The only reason Inuyasha had looked at her like that was because she had reached out to him at the very same moment he was thinking of Kikyo. Sure, he had assured her yesterday that he knew the difference between the two of them, but that was said before she stupidly reminded him that she could sense one of Kikyo's final memories.

It wasn't his fault, she knew that with perfect certainty. Hell, it wasn't even _her_ fault! It was obvious that the only reason she was so immediately drawn to Inuyasha was because of Kikyo's attraction to the half-demon. They had only known each other for a week—what other explanation could there be?

Considering the circumstances, both of their reactions were logical. Any further thought on the matter needed to be approached with that in mind. Logic was Kohana's closest companion; she was the _queen_ of relying on logic when emotions overwhelmed her.

And yet all of the logic in the world couldn't erase the cloying sadness that filled her gut, because even though there was no sense in it, Kohana felt like she had been cheated out of something.


	13. Chapter 12: Fox Fire

Sorry this took so long, everyone! The reason for my slow update is that I didn't get as much feedback last chapter as I'm used to (which makes me think that less people are reading it/that I dont have to update as quickly)...that and the fact that I'm working a full time job that involves me running around outside every day and all that fun stuff.

This chapter may be my favorite so far...it introduces one of my favorite Inuyasha characters, so of course I'm gonna love it :D

So yeah, if you want more ASAP...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 12: Fox-Fire

* * *

It appeared to be a mutual decision not to discuss what had happened between them. After a few hours of painfully awkward silence Inuyasha seemed ready to return to how things had been before, an attitude Kohana tried her very best to emulate.

Several days passed in this manner. No demons appeared, and the tingling sense in her mind that alerted her to the presence of Jewel shards was quiet as the grave—excepting her own Jewel shard, obviously. It got to the point where Kohana _hoped_ they would run into demons.

Finally, in a desperate effort to keep herself distracted, Kohana started the tradition of sparring before they settled in for the night. Seeing Inuyasha as the opponent and not having to hold back with her punches was a surprisingly good outlet for her frustration. Inuyasha didn't argue when she suggested it, which was as good as a yes from him.

One night, as they were preparing to fight in their usual way, Kohana felt a jolt of a very familiar energy—a Jewel shard!

Her head snapped to her right, scanning the dark forest for any demons but finding nothing but shadows. The Shikon's energy was still there though, somewhere in those trees. Inuyasha immediately stopped advancing; his eyes missed nothing as he took in the tenseness of her body.

"What is it?" he asked and Kohana pointed to the pouch around her neck.

"There's a shard nearby," she whispered, and just as she spoke, there was a boom of blue energy from the trees. It was so sudden that Kohana let out a shriek, scrambling away from the light and straight into Inuyasha's chest. He steadied her with one hand while the other went straight for Tessaiga. The sword transformed with a dull hiss, the large blade gleaming menacingly in the firelight.

" _I am all and none, I am light and dark, and you have angered the gods with your presence!"_ the fiery blue orb bellowed in a deep, nasally voice.

The threat was so loftily stated that Kohana felt some of the fear ebb away; she even managed to straighten up. The sphere was flickering and glowing like a fire and yet there was no heat. Inuyasha's ears pulled forward, his nose scrunching up as he tried to identify what they were seeing.

"The hell…?" he muttered.

As he took a step forward, Kohana felt a tiny hand tighten around the pouch around her neck. Adrenaline surged anew and she wasted no time in clamping down on the creature and throwing it away from her. A pained yelp pierced the night, and in the light of the fire she was able to see that her assailant was…a _child_?

The tiny boy let out a growl as he pushed himself to his feet, his cheek sporting a large, bloody scrape. Kohana's jaw dropped as she saw his tiny fangs and fluffy cream-colored tail. Instead of human legs, his lower half was that of some sort of animal.

He was a demon, and a painfully adorable one at that.

"No wonder I couldn't smell any demonic intent from that thing; fox-fire doesn't actually _do_ anything," Inuyasha sneered, putting Tessaiga away with a deliberately casual air.

So the boy was a fox-demon, then?

The demon child snarled at Inuyasha's tone, and as he did so a tiny glass bottle appeared from within his dirt-smudged shirt, secured to the fabric by a bit of twine. Inside it was a large piece of the Shikon Jewel.

"Shut up, you filthy dog! I could hurt you if I wanted to!" the boy seethed, and Kohana couldn't help but wince a little at the watery sound—it was clear that he was holding back tears of pain.

Inuyasha made to move forward at the sight of the shard but Kohana put an arm out to stop him. He glared down at her and she glared back just as fiercely. It was clear that the fox wasn't an actual threat, and from the way he was wobbling on his feet, she guessed that he hadn't eaten or slept properly in days.

Decision made, Kohana asked, "Wanna eat with us? We were about to cook some dinner and you look pretty hungry."

Without waiting for an answer, she moved to set up her compact stove—it collapsed into the size of a grapefruit when needed, which was perfect for travel.

Inuyasha sputtered, as did the demon boy, but she didn't care. She was hungry, and since it was clear that no sparring would be happening that night she was going to eat, dammit!

Kohana didn't look up at either of them as the stove heated. Inuyasha had caught some fish earlier that evening, but the grill would take a few minutes to heat up and so she left them alone for now.

"You've got to be fucking _kidding_ me," Inuyasha snapped as he crouched down on her other side, careful to keep an eye on the fox-demon as he did so. Kohana ignored him, looking to the child instead.

"You're not getting my Jewel shard, so you can either move along or join us for dinner. I'll even clean up that scrape, if you like. It's up to you," she said simply, gesturing to a spot by the fire.

The boy looked so conflicted that it made Kohana's heart melt a little. Inuyasha stuck up his nose and pouted, but didn't growl or threaten when the child eventually sat on the far side of the fire, the farthest spot away from the two of them while still close enough to enjoy the warmth of the flames. His eyes were an oddly vivid color—they reminded Kohana of the jade tiles that made up the Higurashi Shrine roof.

About fifteen minutes later, the fish was cooked. Inuyasha retreated to a spot near their supplies the moment he received his portion, guarding their belongings with such canine eagerness that Kohana had to turn away so he didn't see her smile. The boy saw it, though, and his brow furrowed.

But he didn't speak, even after Kohana had set his fish portion a foot away from him. He stared at it for a long while, his little nose twitching frantically.

Kohana snorted. "It's not poisoned but hey, I guess it's a demon thing to check; Inuyasha does the same thing. I guess I have the look of a villain, huh?" she said jokingly, waggling her eyebrows.

A burst of laughter escaped the kid's mouth before he could hold it in and his eyes immediately widened with shame. Kohana laughed at the boy's obvious guilt—maybe he considered laughing at her joke on par with consorting with the enemy—and sat down with her own fish, trying to keep her distance but feeling this desire to sit close to him.

"I'm Kohana, by the way. The grump over there is Inuyasha."

Inuyasha sent her a growl of warning at that, but she didn't react beyond sticking her tongue out at him.

The boy eyed her for several moments before slowly reaching for his fish, gulping it down in several hungry bites. It was a bit unsettling how ravenously he ate—how long had it been since he last did so?

After he finished one fish, Kohana silently reached over and grabbed another one for him. After only a second or two of hesitation, the fish was nabbed from her grasp and similarly consumed.

"I'm Shippo," he finally revealed, his teal-colored eyes piercing and yet still soft with youth. How old was he? He was small enough to comfortably perch on her shoulder if needed, but the demon aging process was completely out of Kohana's span of knowledge and so she couldn't even _begin_ to speculate. Inuyasha looked about eighteen but was actually much older—was it the same with fox demons?

"I'm sorry that I threw you so hard, Shippo. I mean, was it smart to sneak up on me and try to steal from us? No, probably not. But I'm still sorry," Kohana said lightly, trying to get a closer look at the scrape on his cheek without invading his personal space.

"How were you able to catch me so easily? You're _human_!" Shippo accused. His mouth was messy with fish meat but he didn't seem to notice or care. Kohana had to resist the urge to clean his face as she had done to Souta when he was a toddler.

To her surprise, Inuyasha answered:

"Clearly you haven't been alone for long. If you keep underestimating those who _look_ weaker than you, you'll die pretty damn quick."

The knowing bitterness in Inuyasha's voice made Kohana send him a concerned glance, but she knew better than to push the subject. The dark cast to the half-demon's features told her more than his words did.

" _Master Inuyasha was fifty years old when it happened, if my memory serves me correctly. He's been on his own ever since."_

Shippo rubbed at his mouth with an equally dirty sleeve, eyeing Inuyasha. Kohana rolled her eyes at the glaring contest that quickly ensued, cleaning up their plates instead of giving any more of her attention to their antics. Once she was finished, she plopped herself down by the fire once more.

"Why _are_ you alone?" she asked the fox-demon.

Shippo's face blanched and his eyes welled up with tears within seconds, making Kohana instantly regret asking the question. The little boy scowled through the tears, scrubbing at his eyes until they were red and looking away from her. Her chest ached—he was trying so hard to be strong.

"My father found two Jewel shards a couple of days ago. He didn't want to keep the shards, and so we planned to go to the East to get rid of them…but then…the Thunder Brothers found us. Father gave me one of the shards and told me to run. He went into his true form to distract them and give me time to escape…but then they… _they_ …"

Shippo's voice trembled, then, and he stopped talking in order to duck his head down so that his face was hidden from view. But his shoulders were shaking and his sniffles filled the night air. Kohana looked to Inuyasha, who sent her a shrug. She wondered if he felt compassion towards young demons, or if he was so accustomed to being scorned by humans and full-blooded demons alike that he felt only resentment.

Kohana finally gave in; after taking off her Shikon shard pouch and tucking it into her backpack, she walked over to sit next to Shippo. He stiffened at the closeness, tears streaming from his eyes as he stared warily up at her. He was shaking so badly that the ground beneath him was being disturbed. His hands went over the spot on his shirt, where the Shikon jewel shard was, and for a moment he looked exactly like a cornered animal. In a sense, Kohana supposed that he was.

Kohana knew that there was a good chance he would bite her, but she was wiling to take the risk. She made her movements slow and steady, reaching under the kit and scooping him into an embrace. He was completely unresponsive at first, his breath against her neck the only sign that he was a living creature.

The moment Shippo let go of his unfeeling façade was like the cresting of a wave on the ocean—his body curled into her and his tears soon wet the fabric of her shirt. She wasn't sure why the urge to hold him had been so strong; she usually wasn't a touchy feely person with anyone but the Higurashi family and Nobu.

And yet ever since meeting Inuyasha and starting this crazy

journey, her instinct had gradually been shifting towards touch. Maybe it was the reality that in the feudal era, Inuyasha was all she had when it came to searching for the Jewel shards, and so naturally she wanted to be as close to him as possible. Needed to be close to _something_ , something she could touch and use to remind herself that she wasn't going crazy.

Kohana hummed under her breath, aimlessly and without much elegance—Mama Higurashi was the only decent singer of the family. The moment she began, Shippo's tail drooped and his entire body seemed to _melt_ against her chest. She glanced down at the sound of a contented growl and found that the fox-child was nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

Kohana looked helplessly to Inuyasha, who was watching the kit with narrowed eyes that were both suspicious and knowing at the same time. Honestly, Inuyasha's ability to express dual, often paradoxical emotions with one look was something to be envied.

"Why is he _growling_?" she mouthed desperately at him, and Inuyasha waved a clawed hand in a vague motion.

"Fox thing," he mouthed back, sneering with distaste when Shippo let out a contented sigh. The boy pulled back slightly, his expression full of confusion and wonder as he looked into her eyes.

Kohana let Shippo pull away, but noticed that he didn't move far, staying close enough that his entire upper body was pressed against her leg.

"Shippo," Kohana began, and Inuyasha's attention snapped to her face. She gave him a firm shake of her head before going on, "Do the Thunder Brothers have other shards? How many, would you say?"

Shippo's body tightened with grief, but calmed when Kohana ran a hand through his matted hair.

"The big gross one has two, and the one with red eyes has three. They told my father they would let him live once he gave them the shard…and when he did they _killed_ him!" Shippo cried, and through the tears there was a dark haze of fury clouding his voice. It sounded so out of place on one so young, but considering what had happened, Kohana wasn't surprised.

Inuyasha perked up at the mention of more Jewel shards.

"Where are they now?" he asked impatiently, and Shippo wiped at his nose, teal eyes sharpening with determination.

"I've been trying to track them, but I was never very good at it. Father always tracked our prey…and…"

Kohana interrupted before the boy could burst into tears again.

"I think we can help each other, Shippo. You want the Thunder Brothers to pay for what they did to your father, and we need their shards. Why don't we work together to find them?"

Shippo's eyes lit up with hope, but instead of responding he looked to Inuyasha. The half-demon met the boy's gaze without blinking, cocking his head to the side after a moment. The tension rose in the air until Kohana felt like she was choking in it, but something told her not to interrupt. It felt significant, somehow.

The boy was the first to break; he ducked his head down again, this time tilting his head to the side slightly to expose his neck. Inuyasha's approving growl was so low that Kohana could feel it shiver across her skin even though they were separated by a fire.

"We leave at dawn," Inuyasha decided, turning away from the two of them and jumping into a nearby tree to spend the night guarding their camp, as he always did. Kohana never saw him sleep, but assumed that he stole a few hours throughout the night. Maybe half demons needed less sleep than humans?

Shippo perked up the moment Inuyasha turned away, and his face brightened as he looked up into Kohana's face. She decided not to question the exchange she had just witnessed; she had a feeling it was a demon thing that wouldn't make any sense to her human tendencies.

"I've never smelled a human like you before; are you sure you're not part demon?" he asked.

Kohana shrugged. "I've been human all my life; I'm pretty sure I'd know if I was a demon. Maybe I smell strange cuz I spend so much time with _him_ ," she suggested, gesturing to Inuyasha. Shippo's nose twitched and his brow furrowed skeptically, but he didn't speak out against her explanation.

The boy hesitated only a moment before scurrying up her arm and settling in the crook of her arm. Kohana blinked in surprise, but her arms instinctively held him close before her mind could convince her to maintain more space between them—he had tried to _steal_ from them, after all.

"It's not a _bad_ smell," Shippo sleepily mumbled, his little face scrunching up as he released a huge yawn.

Kohana smiled, shifting her position so she was sitting more comfortably on the ground.

"Thank you. I'm sure that under all that dirt and grime, you smell nice, too."

Shippo's cheeks flared red for a brief moment but he seemed too tired to rise to her bait. Almost absentmindedly, he turned his head so he could nip at her forearm, biting down but so gently and briefly that nothing broke the skin. It reminded Kohana immediately of the Higurashi cat. She had never been all that interested in it, but had seen the creature playfully nipping at Souta's hand when it wanted to make a point.

Kohana waited until the fox-demon was fully asleep before moving to place him on her sleeping bag, keeping him close enough to the fire so that he wouldn't get cold. He whimpered a bit at the loss of her body heat, but calmed when she stroked his back, eventually relaxing into the synthetic padding.

After making sure Shippo was comfortable, she got up and walked over to the tree in which Inuyasha was perched. His golden eyes were the only thing she could see—the rest of him was in shadow. He dropped down to meet her, his body suddenly so big and wide in front of where she stood. His smell was as it always was, wild and masculine and for a moment Kohana found herself leaning forward to better take it in.

At the last second she managed to make the movement look like she was shifting from one foot to the other.

Kohana cleared her throat. "I need to go to the river and get some water—I want to already have it when we wake up tomorrow."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "Ugh, it's for the brat, isn't it?"

"Of course it is. If he's going to be traveling with us, I'd prefer that he didn't smell like a dumpster."

Inuyasha growled once under his breath before holding a hand out for the water container. Kohana scoffed, holding it closer to her and walking past him.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna let you get my water for me. The river's not _that_ far away."

"Hey," Inuyasha snapped. Kohana stopped, taking a deep breath and counting to three before turning around. Her eyes widened when she realized he was holding out her bow and quiver.

"Be back in ten minutes or less," the half-demon gruffly ordered, turning and marching over to sit by the fire, facing the forest so he could watch her leave. Kohana held her weapon in one hand, so utterly shocked at Inuyasha's acceptance of her going alone that for a moment she could do nothing but stare at him.

Inuyasha sent her a slow smirk that did nothing to help Kohana's tumultuous thoughts.

"Nine minutes left. Better hurry," he drawled, and Kohana felt her face heat up at that. She sent him a glare before turning on her heel and marching into the forest.

"Fucking asshole," she muttered under her breath as she approached the river. The water was pitch black in the darkness, flowing past like a trail of oil. The stars provided very little light, which meant that Kohana had to slow down as she neared the water's edge.

The container wasn't very big, and so filling it took only a minute or so. But as she straightened she felt a jolt of Shikon energy from within the water, so suddenly that she let out a gasp and dropped her water container into the grass.

Kohana had just drawn an arrow when a dull, watery moan filled the air. She aimed it where the energy was coming from, her heart beating so quickly that she was surprised it didn't travel up into her throat. Waiting was the worst part, and while part of her wanted to release the arrow she couldn't do that until she knew what she was up against.

Without warning, a huge shape flung itself out of the river and onto the bank. Something slimy hit Kohana in the chest, causing her to fall back into the brush. Little thorns scratched angry red lines into her skin as she fought her way back out.

What met her on the bank was the strangest looking creature she had ever seen. It was a huge fish, but its fins were gloopy limbs of sorts, trying to support its weight even as it wobbled dangerously. In its enormous gut was a Jewel shard. Bulbous eyes glowed red and when the fish opened its mouth the most _disgusting_ stench wafted out. The greenish haze seemed to scorch the air as it passed through.

Her head spun wildly as the smell entered her nose, and she only just managed to run backwards to avoid being consumed by it, drawing an arrow. The fish swung towards her, and as it did spines emerged from the gelatinous arms, one of the sharp edges catching the top of her ear as she ducked.

"Fuck," she gasped, more of the horrible gas entering he lungs. Cold Inuyasha hear her, or was he too focused on guarding their camp to hear the sounds of fighting over the sound of the quickly moving river?

Her vision was becoming spotty, and the burning in her nose increased with every second that passed.

" _Yum, yum, yum_ ," the monster choked out, and Kohana felt her knees wobbling as she released her arrow. The pink-blue light flared, and after a loud shriek, the monster was gone. The Jewel shard it had carried fell to the ground, as did the body of a spiny fish.

Her throat burned, but she managed to swallow and even let out a laugh as she fell to her knees, picking up the shard and closing her fingers around it.

A regular fish had swallowed the shard, and the power of it transformed the creature into that… _thing_. No wonder Kikyo had worked so hard to keep it out of demon hands—it could do serious damage even in the hands of _animals_.

"Kohana!" Inuyasha's voice came from behind her, and she turned to see him running to meet her, his sensitive nose covered by a large red sleeve. The toxic gas was still in the air, and so Kohana forced herself to her feet and staggered to the forest edge where the air was slightly cleaner. She even managed to remember to grab the water container.

Inuyasha caught her as she reached the tree line, jumping into the air and away from the river the moment he had a firm grip on her. They landed in the trees just beyond the campsite—Shippo was still dead to the world, his little head poking out of the sleeping bag.

"I killed a demon all by myself," Kohana said numbly. As she stared at the shard in her hand, pride took the place of shock.

"A gross one; you _stink_ ," Inuyasha muttered, and Kohana laughed. Her throat still hurt from where the gas had entered but it was getting better the longer she was away from the river.

"But I _did_ it, and it felt _amazing!_ Maybe it was great because it smelled so bad and made my nose and throat hurt like the fucking—"

"You breathed in that gas? You _idiot_ , that stuff could be poisonous!" Inuyasha barked. His fingers ran gently but firmly along her throat. At the same time, he leaned down to sniff at her skin, his ears swiveling towards her.

"I'm okay, I just—" Kohana began.

"Stop talking," Inuyasha snapped. She obeyed him without much fuss; it _did_ sting a little when she talked. But she mostly listened because his touch on her skin was proving to be more than a little distracting, and if she tried to speak she would probably make an ass of herself—he didn't need _more_ reason to avoid her.

Inuyasha found the cut on her ear and he met her gaze for the first time since pulling her from the river's edge. His golden eyes flickered with the light of the fire, and in that moment he looked so intense and earnest that Kohana couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you for taking care of me," she said.

Inuyasha stared back at her, his face smoothing into an indiscernible expression. The crackling of the fire was the only sound that filled the space between them, and Kohana had to clench her hands into fists to keep from reaching out and touching him. The bite of her fingernails helped to keep her instincts at bay.

 _He's still in love with Kikyo_ , she reminded herself. _You're Kikyo's reincarnation; you can't know if what you feel is her or you._

Inuyasha scoffed, reaching into his sleeve and pulling out a small packet of bandages—when had he stolen those from her backpack?

"I thought I told you to stop talking," he reproached as he taped a small strip to her cut. There was no real bite to his tone, though. It was a tone that Kohana was beginning to recognize as something he used when he was unsure of how to respond.

Once he was finished, he scowled and hurriedly stepped back before jerking his head towards the fire—a clear dismissal.

Kohana didn't hesitate to move back to her sleeping spot, leaving the water container by her backpack. A small rustle told her that Inuyasha had retreated into his lookout tree and she was glad for it. It meant that he couldn't see her face.

When she knelt to open the sleeping bag, she was surprised to see Shippo's bright teal eyes open and very intently focused on her. She put a finger to her lips and urged him to scoot over. He did so without complaint and she carefully situated herself into her bag. Shippo hesitantly nuzzled into her shoulder, and growled contentedly when she reached over to tug him into her arms.

Holding and comforting Shippo seemed like the most natural thing in the world, a feeling that confused the hell out of her. She wasn't a touchy feely person with strangers and yet here she was, cuddling with a demon boy a mere hour after meeting him.

Was this place making her lose her mind?

"You smell like rotten fish," Shippo noticed with a distasteful wrinkle of his nose, and Kohana hummed in agreement, resting her chin atop his head.

"You and me both, buddy."

"What does 'buddy' mean?"

Kohana blinked. She was used to Inuyasha, who clearly didn't understand most of her modern-day lingo but was too prideful to ask what she meant.

"Where I'm from, it's a casual term used for someone you consider a friend," she explained.

Shippo frowned. "I don't think we're buddies, yet," he said seriously, though not with any sort of malice. Kohana nodded against his head, peering down to see that he was looking up at her to gauge her reaction.

"No, we're not," she replied.

"But I like being close to you."

"I like it too, Shippo."

"You and Inuyasha aren't buddies, right?"

Kohana frowned. "I would say we are…why do you think different?"

Shippo shifted in her arms. "He ran to save you, and he held your head and sniffed to make sure you weren't injured…that's what _pack_ does. Father always told me that pack goes deeper than friendship. He said it's why losing Mother hurt him as much as it did."

"Did she die?" Kohana asked, staring into the dying flames of the campfire. Shippo's hands curled around her shirt and she felt him nod.

"When I was born. People told him to go East after it happened, to raise me with the rest of our kin, but Father decided to raise me outside the realm. He wanted to wait until I was older to take me there…and now…"

Kohana felt him tremble against her, and held him a tiny bit tighter. Poor boy. Poor, poor boy to be so young and have lost both parents. It sent a pang of longing in her heart, because she had lost her parents too. But unlike Shippo, she didn't even have memories of them to comfort her.

"That's something you have in common with me and Inuyasha," Kohana murmured, and continued when Shippo looked up at her in confusion. "All three of us lost our parents."

"What happened to yours?"

Kohana knew that the question was coming and yet she still felt the most horrible pang of sadness when it did. She opened her mouth and closed it, unable to stop staring at the fire—the swaying of the flames gave her something to focus on.

She finally looked down at Shippo, reaching up to tuck a stray piece of hair behind his delicately pointed ear. He leaned into her touch even as his expression remained keenly inquisitive.

"I'm gonna wait until we're buddies to tell you that story, okay?"

To her surprise, Shippo nodded as if her response was the most logical thing in the world. Without another word he ducked down to curl up against her and his fluffy tail curved slightly to drape over her hip.

"Goodnight, Kohana," he sighed.

Kohana looked past his head, searching the tree she knew Inuyasha was in but finding nothing. She could feel him, though, could feel his intense gaze as clearly as if he was standing right in front of her.

"Goodnight," she said to both of them.


	14. Chapter 13: Unsafe Musings

Hello all! So sorry for the long time between updates - I just got done with my outdoor education job and so my schedule has opened up in glorious ways for the next two weeks. LETS GOOOOOOO.

If you like this chapter and want to see more as soon as possible...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 13: Unsafe Musings

* * *

It turned out that one small container of water wasn't nearly enough to clean both a fox-demon and a human girl, and so after eating a quick breakfast the three of them headed for the river—a different section, far upstream from where the possessed fish had attacked. Kohana cleaned their clothes as best she could and hung them to dry on a few low hanging branches.

"Don't get this in your eyes, Shippo," Kohana warned after letting the boy play around in the water for a bit. The fox-demon boy closed his eyes obediently and leaned forward so that Kohana could massage the scentless shampoo into his red-orange hair.

At the time, her only reasoning for buying scentless deodorant and soap was that she didn't want to attract animals while they were camping. The presence of a half-demon—and now, a full blooded demon child—made her realize that avoiding the irritation of sensitive demon noses was another good reason for bringing such things.

The half-demon in question sat on the shore beside the small pool that was an offshoot from the river, watching the two of them with unblinking eyes. After last night, Kohana doubted that Inuyasha would let her alone near a river for a _long_ time.

The sky was mostly dark, the golden light of the approaching sun slowly warming up the dimmer colors. Kohana wore her usual swim attire—a plain black sports bra and a pair of spandex shorts—while Shippo was unashamedly nude.

Kohana didn't think much of the child's nakedness after the first few minutes; the only reason she stared was to better understand the way his humanoid top half transitioned into furred fox-legs. It was both odd and strangely _right_.

"Okay, dunk," Kohana instructed, laughing when Shippo sucked in a unnecessarily large breath before diving down to scrub at his hair underwater. The bubbles quickly disappeared with the flow of the river and while the boy was rinsing the rest of the suds off of his face, Kohana quickly washed herself and shaved her underarms. She didn't have time to do so with her legs and so she reluctantly let them be.

"Why do you have so many scars?" Shippo asked from under her arm, which made her jump because she hadn't heard him approach. She looked to where he was gesturing to and found him staring at the series of silvery scars on her hands and forearms from her years of training.

"My uncle runs a dojo back home. We work with swords and daggers—after ten years, I was bound to walk away with a scar or two. Don't you have any?"

Shippo shook his head. "Demons don't scar very easily. Father didn't have any, even though he fought in a lot of battles."

Kohana nodded, glancing back to Inuyasha. Could half-demons retain scars? If the wound was bad enough, shouldn't there be _something_ left behind?

"Hurry up, will ya?" Inuyasha demanded, getting to his feet. His nose twitched as he warily scanned the surrounding trees.

Shippo whined, but when Inuyasha sent him a sharp look the kit scrambled out of the water. Kohana marveled at the shift—one second, Shippo was playful and combative, the next he was respectful and quiet. Was she _missing_ something? How did Inuyasha inspire such obedience in the boy?

Kohana watched the fox-demon shake his head to remove some of the water before trotting over to where Inuyasha stood and tilting his face up expectantly. The human girl's jaw dropped when, after a long moment of hesitation, Inuyasha leaned down to rub noses with the boy. Immediately Shippo's tail perked up and he growled playfully before running to put on his clothes.

"I never would have guessed that you'd be good with kids," Kohana casually mentioned as she pulled herself out of the water. Inuyasha scowled darkly but she could see the lingering softness in his eyes.

"Shut up," the half-demon snapped, stomping off to collect the rest of their stuff. Kohana watched him go as she wrung the water from her hair and dried herself with her small towel.

Inuyasha continued to surprise her. Like Shippo, he switched roles so readily. Was it a demon thing to have dual sides of oneself? Or was it just because both of them were outsiders even to their own species?

It made her wonder what the nose rubbing represented for demons. Was it a fox-demon gesture, or a dog-demon one? Foxes and dogs came from the same ancestor, so it was possible that they were very similar when it came to pack dynamics. She knew that foxes were smaller and more reclusive than dogs (at least, the animals in modern day were) but other than that she didn't know all that much. In modern time, Nobu and Kohana rubbed noses all the time but that was a human thing—she was pretty sure they were called "Eskimo kisses".

Kohana absentmindedly fingered the third Jewel piece that had joined the pouch around her neck just thirty minutes ago. Shippo had handed his shard over to her the moment they reached the river, stating that his father wouldn't have wanted him to be in danger by holding on to it.

She finished dressing and went to join Shippo and Inuyasha by their supplies, heaving her backpack over her shoulders before grabbing her bow and quiver. Inuyasha covered the fire-pit with dirt and debris while Shippo jumped up onto Kohana's shoulder, rubbing his cheek against hers for the briefest moment before scampering up atop her head.

Inuyasha moved to walk beside Kohana before looking over at Shippo—perching on top of Kohana's head put the boy's face about level with Inuyasha's.

"Can you give us a direction?" he asked gruffly.

Shippo nodded. "I watched them leave after they…after they stole the Jewel shard. They talked about going home to celebrate and then they flew _that_ way," he explained, pointing east.

Kohana peered in that direction, noticing that beyond the very farthest tree line the sky had a gray cast. A distant rumble of thunder filled the air and Inuyasha's ears tweaked at the sound.

"What are we waiting for, then?" Inuyasha grumbled as he knelt down—a clear invitation for Kohana to climb on his back. She did so without complaint, suggesting to Shippo that he cling to her shoulder instead of her hair.

The moment the fox-demon was in place Inuyasha jumped into the air and they were on their way.

* * *

It was afternoon by the time they reached the rocky basin that marked the beginning of the Thunder Brothers' territory. Inuyasha would have liked to get there faster, and _could_ have if he were alone, but the two passengers on his back made it difficult.

Sometimes, Inuyasha wondered why he even bothered to take Kohana along. She was a _human_ ; she was infinitely more breakable than him, she always challenged his ideas _and_ she couldn't keep up with him—it would be more efficient to travel by himself and bring back the shards he found. Or better yet, keep them for himself. He still had his own goal of completing the Jewel and becoming a full demon, after all.

But those plans wavered in their strength when he stopped moving and became aware of how relaxed Kohana's grip was—her trust was conveyed in the easiness of her hold. She slid down from his back and gazed down at an eager Shippo, her smile gentle in a way Inuyasha hadn't known she was capable of.

Her smile remained as she turned to look at him, and Inuyasha found that he wasn't quite as sure of his goal as he had been when they started this journey. If he left and went on his own, who would keep Kohana safe? Would it be Kaede, the withered old woman who had a decent amount of spiritual energy but in the end was only human?

Inuyasha looked down at the little fox-demon perched on a rock, his teeth grinding together when he realized that something had _changed_.

He didn't want to be alone, anymore.

Kohana was becoming familiar; her presence made the tedious searching bearable. Just hours ago Inuyasha had exchanged a pack greeting with Shippo—something that had confused the fuck out of him the moment he felt his instincts _screaming_ at him to touch noses with the boy.

The boy was a fox demon, and yet Inuyasha's dog demon instincts hadn't cared. All he had felt in his heart was _pack_ , and it was then that Inuyasha wondered if he was finally going insane. First, he meets a powerful half-demon in Kohana's time, then he initiates physical contact with Kohana, and now Shippo comes along and inserts himself into his pack almost like he was meant to be there—

Inuyasha froze.

He had called it _his_ pack.

That meant that Inuyasha already viewed Kohana and Shippo as his, but that was _bullshit_ because there was no way he was going to let stupid demon instincts tell him that these two were worth his time!

But…he had touched noses with Shippo. From what he had observed in the few fox demons he had met in his life—they were an extremely reclusive species—touching noses was how members of pack greeted each other. He didn't know how dog demons greeted each other, so maybe his demon side yearned for some sort of validation and took it in whatever form it could?

"Inuyasha?" Kohana asked, and Inuyasha flinched at the sudden sound, realizing that he was _still_ staring at her. The half-demon's cheeks flooded with heat but he refused to make even _more_ of a fool of himself by acknowledging it.

"So what are we supposed to do, yell for them to come out and play?" Inuyasha asked bitingly, sniffing at the air and finding only the musk of two male demons (hours old) and the tingling of fresh ozone.

Shippo hopped onto a rock beside him, his pointed nose sniffing anxiously. Inuyasha watched the boy's movements, noting with a primal contentedness that the demon looked to him for permission to take lead on the hunt. Inuyasha had never been so close to fox kits before—all demons were exceedingly protective of their young—and so observing Shippo satisfied a deep curiosity within him.

"They went this way," the boy announced once Inuyasha gave him a slight nod. With a snarl, Shippo slid off the rock and began trotting towards the cliffs. Kohana sent Inuyasha a quick glance before following the child as he began tracking the demons' most recent scent.

Inuyasha wasn't sure how, but his demon side had seemed to… _wake up_ after Kohana defended him from Sesshomaru. She was human and yet ever since she fought so hard to protect him, to _claim_ him—for how could her blatant disregard for Sesshomaru's desire to kill him be anything but a claim?—he found himself looking at her not as an ordinary human girl but as an equal.

It was a ridiculous thought because she was most definitely weaker than he was, but at the same time there was this fire inside of her small body that he could smell every time she stood up to fight. He had seen it after he took her away from the toxic riverbank, had felt it in the triumphant trembling in her hands as she grinned up at him.

Inuyasha had almost kissed her just a week ago, in front a much older Go-Shin-Boku tree. He had been drowning in thoughts of Kikyo, lost in the pain that always came when he imagined her soft brown eyes—they had once been full of love but were narrowed with hate when she fired that final arrow into his chest.

But then, Kohana said that she wouldn't change anything about him.

She had looked up at him with such openness in her bright blue eyes, had sucked in an excited breath when he touched her face. He half-expected her to flinch back at the touch of his claw on her skin but she didn't even seem to _notice_ it.

Inuyasha let Kohana pull away when she did because he should _hate_ her, as he did when they first met. He should hold on to that anger because if he didn't have that…what _did_ he have?

* * *

Shippo's bright eyes narrowed with hate as he darted forward, and Kohana followed at a slower pace, watching the boy follow the scent of the Thunder Brothers with a slight frown.

She didn't think it would ever be normal to see such a young child carry so much tragedy on his shoulders.

Inuyasha fell into step beside her; Kohana wondered if he was aware of how stiflingly close he was. A glance at his face let her know that he didn't—he was clearly lost in thought, his brow marred by a deep frown.

Very suddenly, Kohana wanted to put her hand on his arm and attempt to comfort his troubled mind. It was such a seamless thought that Kohana almost let herself believe that it was _her_ mind that came up with the idea. But it wasn't, was it?

 _Get_ out _of my head,_ Kohana furiously thought, not sure if Kikyo was aware of her or if it was just core physical characteristics and emotional inclinations that were transferred in reincarnation.

Either way, Kohana was beginning to feel as though she was fighting a daily battle with an enemy that only she could see. Analyzing and furiously questioning every impulse she had was exhausting, but she couldn't seem to stop because she _needed_ to maintain the separation.

If she let herself read into Inuyasha's increasingly intimate touches, if she let the raw tension between their bodies become anything more than harmless banter and camaraderie…the reality that her soul carried with it the soul of Inuyasha's first love would destroy her. Not right away—it would be a slow and painful descent. She could never look into his eyes without wondering if he truly wanted _her_ or if she was simply a second chance to be with the woman he lost all those years ago.

Kohana refused to be a stand-in. She refused to engage in something that might not be genuine; her _own_ feelings might just be Kikyo's soul yearning for an old and passionate connection and consequently using her as a conduit. The situation was every shade of fucked up and she knew it.

But even with all of that, even with logic and reason pounding at her head like a persistent migraine, she kept finding herself _watching_ him. Found herself yearning to touch his skin—to memorize every curve of muscle and every sharp masculine line—and listen to him speak of where he had been and where he wanted to go because some inexplicable instinct demanded that she unravel every _inch_ of his being.

Inuyasha was annoying, moody, antagonistic and blunt to a fault…but there was also kindness there. His body appealed to her, sure, but it was the depth of feeling that swirled behind the guarded gold of his eyes that truly excited her.

And it was that excitement—an eager, almost desperate curiosity Kohana had never before felt where a boy was concerned—that scared her most.

She was pulled very abruptly from her musings by a shiver filling the air. It was similar to the huge demon that Sesshomaru had summoned—it had that same malice—but this felt more sharp, more tingly. It was also coming from two different sources, ones that Kohana could feel not only in her gut but also from that specific place in her mind that alerted her to the presence of Jewel shards.

Just then, Shippo yipped and hopped back onto Kohana's shoulder.

"They're coming!" he hissed, shaking with equal parts rage and fear. Inuyasha seemed relieved to have a more tangible distraction—a feeling Kohana could relate to—and pulled Tessaiga from its sheath with a steely smirk. Kohana pulled out an arrow and set it, her fingers sliding across the bowstring with practiced ease as she readied her arms for the powerful pulling motion.

"Finally," the half-demon muttered, and for some odd reason glanced at Kohana. What was even odder was the fact that Kohana had thought to look over at him in that moment, too.

He seemed to watch her just as much as she watched him, and for that brief second or two of eye contact before their foes arrived in a flash of lightning, Kohana allowed herself to wonder if they were watching each other for the same reason.


	15. Chapter 14: Thunder Brothers

Hello!

I'm sort of back from the dead...but it's hard to write these days, kids. Really FREAKING hard. I'm adapting to living in Spain and speaking Spanish all the time and also am dealing with some low key insomnia so that's fun...

BUT ANYHOO...this chapter changes things in a major way and I know that some of you are gonna think things are moving too quickly and that Inuyasha is OOC. Again, he totally is, but at the same time realize that Inuyasha's feelings at this point are not solely romantic where Kohana is concerned. Kikyo is still very much in his thoughts and a few weeks with someone isn't gong to completely erase that. BUT Kohana is becoming a very important figure in his life, not just romantically (because let's face it, these two have some serious sexual tension and even Inuyasha isn't dense enough to not see it), but as a friend. Inuyasha hasn't had many friends, if any aside from his mother and Kikyo, and so he's slowly coming to realize what it feels like to be able to trust someone enough to protect HIM instead of always needing to be the protector. Think of it this way-Kikyo taught him to open up and protect/actively care about people other than himself (something he needed after his mother died). Kohana's role is a bit tougher...her role isn't to be the damsel he needs to protect all the time; her role in his life is to show Inuyasha that he deserves protection, too, and that he's worthy of people putting their lives on the line for him.

Okay, rant over.

 _WARNING_ : there's some pretty dark/vulgar language and subject matter in this chapter...so please be aware of that going in. Although mentioned very briefly, a few of the topics are rape (of a minor), underage sex and graphic violence. So please, don't read unless you think you can handle it.

If you like the chapter and want more ASAP...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 14: Thunder Brothers

* * *

The Thunder Brothers came into view with all the subtlety of a circus. Lighting ripped through the air before the group with a shrill shrieking sound, the clouds darkening before clumping together to block the previously cheery blue sky.

Thunder demons they certainly were, though the label of "brothers" baffled Kohana—the two looked absolutely _nothing_ alike. The tall one with red eyes was handsome in a rich pretty-boy sort of way, sporting a long, shiny braid and sickly sweet charm. The other…was something else entirely. Every pleasing feature of the red-eyed brother was disfigured into its opposite in the form of the second brother. The demon's head was large and egg-shaped, his yellow skin textured like the skin of a toad. His entire body was as large and awkward as his brother's was lean and graceful.

"And here I thought we'd have to go _looking_ for you, little fox. But here you are, and you were kind enough to find a couple more Jewel shards for us!" the handsome brother simpered from his position in the sky above them, his voice smooth and mocking. The other demon—Manten—was made even more ugly as he smiled; the gesture showed off his sharp, uneven rows of teeth.

Shippo's growl was so violent that it rustled the hair tucked behind Kohana's ear. The boy was trembling but Kohana resisted the urge to comfort him in lieu of keeping both hands on her weapon. Inuyasha was restless, too, his lips twitching back every few seconds or so to reveal his sharp canine teeth. But he didn't move as Kohana expected him to.

Maybe Nobu had taught him something after all.

"And the brat brought a _girl_ , Hiten," Manten exclaimed excitedly, practically bouncing on the magical cloud that kept him aloft, his large meaty hand lifting up to tenderly trace over his mostly bald scalp—upon further inspection Kohana spotted three long, greasy hairs protruding from his head. "She'll be perfect for my potion!"

Kohana's brows shot up at that but she inwardly shrugged. If that was the worst they had to say…

Hiten sneered cruelly at his brother. "Idiot! Has working in that stupid lab all day warped your ability to fucking _smell_? She's useless for the potion; the recipe calls for a _virgin_."

Kohana froze. She could feel Inuyasha and Shippo's surprise as clearly as she felt the bow and arrow in her hands. She wasn't embarrassed, per say, but it certainly threw her off in ways she hadn't expected. While she was sure Inuyasha could _smell_ that particular fact about her, it was another thing all together to have it said out loud.

"Frankly it's a bit surprising," Hiten began, his gaze trailing over Kohana's body in a way that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "I like 'em young, sure, but even _I_ can't imagine what it would take to get hard for _that_ one. How does it work for you, half-breed? Do you have to imagine that she's that Kikyo bitch to get any pleasure from it? I wouldn't blame you; she's more a boy than a woman. I'd fuck the fox brat before I'd touch her—at least the fox can shape-shift into something more appealing!"

"Just as long as his body stays intact. I need a hat to match my new pelt," Manten suggested, touching the fur wrap surrounding his waist. Shippo let out a sharp cry when Manten turned just enough for them to see that it was a fox pelt—large enough to cover the thunder demon and the exact same color of Shippo's hair. The nose and the tail were held secure over Manten's heart, connected by a small piece of rope.

Kohana's stomach lurched in her stomach because that that was Shippo's _father—_

Manten turning to give his brother a jovial slap on the shoulder as they both burst out laughing.

Kohana had her arrow pulled back so quickly that it was a surprise even to herself. Listening to the Thunder Brothers was like being yanked back in time to early high school, when one of the older boys would laugh as he teased her about how flat-chested she was.

 _"I hear there are websites that help people like you get laid. Some guys_ like _to fuck little boys; maybe you'll get lucky?"_

Kohana had broken that asshole's wrist with this same speed, with this same unwavering anger. She didn't hate boys for being romantically and sexually indifferent to her, just as she didn't hate girls who unknowingly (and knowingly) gave her pitying looks. It was the _scorn_ that really made her mad. That high school boy found someone who in his eyes was so below him that he felt _comfortable_ saying such awful things.

Kohana had made sure he never felt comfortable around her again.

She didn't hesitate to do the same with Hiten. It was one thing to mock _her_ , but to even _suggest_ such awful things be done to Shippo—an innocent, a _child_ —was what made her snap.

With one smooth motion, her arrow was pulled back and released. It sparked with lavender energy and that caught the attention of the demon brothers, but too late. Her arrow struck exactly where she aimed.

Manten's body jerked, and his beady eyes widened as he stared down at the arrow lodged in his heart, neatly slicing through the rope holding Shippo's father's pelt. The fur fluttered to the ground about ten feet away from where Kohana and Inuyasha stood, curling in on itself so that it almost looked like the fox was merely sleeping.

Manten's mouth opened as if to speak, as if to yell for help, but death came too quickly for any of that.

"Manten!" Hiten yelled as the lumbering demon fell through his now useless magic cloud and hit the ground with enough force to make the earth shudder and dust collect in the air.

Inuyasha swiftly stepped in front of Kohana as Hiten screamed his grief, but the other demon was too lost to even notice them. He flew to the ground and embraced his brother, begging and pleading.

Kohana felt oddly numb as she watched the display. She didn't feel any pity, not even a flicker of regret.

Inuyasha's hand on her upper arm distracted Kohana from watching Hiten, and she gladly focused on his golden eyes. They were wide, not with surprise but with something else, something that almost resembled pride. His fingers loosened on her arm enough for him to reach up and cradle the back of her neck. It felt secure without being smothering, like he was grounding himself as well as her.

"You okay?" he asked lowly, his eyes flicking up to include Shippo as well. The fox demon let out a soft sob in response, something that made Kohana give in to the desire to hold the boy close. She hooked the bow across her chest and hugged Shippo tightly, letting the boy cry into her shirt and running her fingers through his hair.

Kohana didn't try to reassure him, didn't tell him that everything was going to be okay because it wasn't. Nothing about this—the demons' words, Kohana killing Manten and feeling absolutely nothing, Shippo's father being made into a piece fucking _clothing_ —was okay.

Inuyasha didn't move his hand and Kohana didn't step away even though she knew she should.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the half-demon. "I didn't tell you I was going to…I didn't…I didn't _think_ …"

Kohana trailed off, closing her eyes as she realized how stupid she had been. She had had no idea how fast the demons were—what if Manten had dodged and launched an immediately counterattack? She could have gotten herself and her companions killed and all for what, some vulgar words?

"If you hadn't done it, I would have," Inuyasha growled, and his words prompted her to look at him again. He was staring at Hiten, his face blank but his eyes burning with rage. He gave one last squeeze to the back of Kohana's neck—in that moment, coming from Inuyasha, it felt as gentle as a caress—before letting go and hefting Tessaiga into his hands.

"Get out of here," Inuyasha ordered, and Shippo immediately pulled away from Kohana's arms.

"Not w-without Papa, not without him!" the boy wailed, and Kohana nodded to Inuyasha before briskly walking forward with Shippo in her arms and kneeling to collect the fox demon's pelt. She was just about finished pulling it all into her arms—it was oddly light for something so large—when a horribly wet ripping sound was heard.

Inuyasha was by their side once again, Tessaiga held before them—a deadly shield.

Hiten sobbed as he finished pulling Manten's heart out of the body's chest. Blood was everywhere, staining the ground and the cloth of Hiten's shirt and pants but Kohana couldn't take her eyes away from the large and bloody hunk of flesh that was…oh fucking _god_ that was his bother's _heart_ and he was _eating_ it!

The remaining Thunder Brother's eyes glowed as he quickly devoured the organ. Kohana could feel more than see the demon energy growing, transferring from one body to the next, from the dead to the living. The Jewel shards were transferring too, almost like they had fused with the flesh of Manten's heart and with every bite became part of Hiten's body.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Kohana whispered as she gripped the pelt and Shippo closer to her body. Inuyasha braced himself; his silence was more of an agreement than anything he could have said.

"Go," he snapped, and Kohana shot to her feet, turning to run. For the next thirty seconds, the only sound that registered was her breathing and the steady rhythm of her feet hitting the ground. Keep running, keep going, get far, far _away._

But then Inuyasha yelled her name and Kohana felt a wave of electricity fly over her head, the blistering wind that followed it knocking Kohana off her feet. Shippo and his father's pelt went flying from her arms as she fell.

The rocky terrain flew up to meet her face and her lip promptly split open against a flat stone. Her teeth felt loose from the force of the hit and the coppery tang of blood filled her mouth. She ignored the pain as best as she could, pushing herself up and looking for Shippo. He was lying nearby—still conscious, thank God, but clearly dazed—his eyes unfocused as he blindly reached for his father's pelt.

" _I'll kill you!_ " Hiten screamed from behind her, so vehemently that Kohana felt a shudder of genuine fear roll through her. She craned her neck back to see what was happening, and another wave of fear hit because Inuyasha was _bleeding_.

Hiten's long bladed staff finished its arc down Inuyasha's chest, making the half-demon grunt and stagger slightly as blood gushed from the wound. Hiten tried to move past him, his glowing red eyes locked on Kohana.

In seeing where Hiten was headed, Inuyasha snarled, a vicious sound that immediately reminded Kohana of Sesshomaru. A strange and random comparison, to be sure, but she was in the middle of a battle with a grief-crazed thunder demon and so she felt she was entitled to think some pretty crazy stuff.

Inuyasha didn't lunge with Tessaiga, but instead leapt at him with only his claws—what the _fuck_ was he thinking?—and locked his arm around Hiten's neck, holding that arm steady with his free hand and pulling back hard. The thunder demon's balance was thrown off as he swayed backwards.

Kohana spat out a glob of blood, keeping her eyes on Hiten as she pulled back another arrow. She kept it aimed, waiting to see what Hiten would do, but all her calmness fled when she saw the sparking fire behind the demon's teeth. Something big was about to come, Kohana could feel it in the air, and Inuyasha must have realized it too because he yelled:

" _RUN!"_

There was panic in his voice. That, more than anything, made Kohana run. She leaned down to grab Shippo and the pelt, not daring to look back, not daring to hesitate even for a second.

The huge explosion of electricity and fire was so great that it rattled Kohana's bones.

She stumbled, falling hard once more, and it was then that she knew she was going to die. The heat was coming, so fast and so _strong_ , and Shippo's bright jade-green gaze boring into hers was the last thing she saw before fire consumed everything.

* * *

Inuyasha felt himself get thrown off of Hiten but it was as if someone else was getting hit in his stead—he didn't feel it as much as he should. His eyes were locked on the blazing inferno that covered the spot Kohana had just been. The last thing he had seen of her was her short hair billowing wildly around her, her strong legs working to get away but not _fast enough—_

"Don't worry, half-breed…you'll join her soon," Hiten said softly, like he was speaking to a child in the midst of a nightmare instead of his opponent.

 _Kohana was dead._

Inuyasha felt Tessaiga pulse at his hip and gripped the handle without thinking, pulling the blade forth and lunging at Hiten with a feral scream just barely contained in his throat. Hiten's eyes widened as he was forced to parry with increasing speed. The Jewel shards glinted at his forehead but Inuyasha didn't care about the stupid fucking shards. He could have fifty Jewel shards, he could have the entire fucking _Jewel_ , but even with all of that he wouldn't be any closer to getting her _back_ —

He couldn't protect any of them. His mother, Kikyo, and now Kohana…all taken from him, all dead and gone and he was going to _rip Hiten apart_!

Tessaiga seemed to hum with agreement at his declaration, becoming even lighter and easier to wield as the seconds ticked by. Hiten was wavering, his staff blocking slower and slower.

Inuyasha felt joy only for a second when his blade finally tore Hiten in half. The demon's body dissolved into dust and five glowing Jewel shards fell at Inuyasha's feet. He stared down at them unblinkingly, knowing he should reach down and grab them, that he should feel _happy_ that he won.

But his body refused to move. He stood, silent and unseeing, unwilling to look up and confirm what he knew to be true.

"Inuyasha?" a feminine voice cracked from behind him, weak and uncertain, and Inuyasha turned so quickly that his neck muscles twinged painfully in warning.

Kohana was _there_.

She was standing unsteadily on her feet, Shippo in her arms. Electric blue flames surrounded the both of them. She stared at him like she was unsure if he was real. Was _she_ real?

Inuyasha walked forward until he was just outside the reach of the fire. The blue flames picked up speed, whipping around her and causing her hair to fly around her head again. The panic on her face was enough to make him do something stupid—like reach for a ghost.

Inuyasha's hand found her wrist, gripping tightly enough that it would probably hurt her if she were alive. She didn't flinch, though. In fact she seemed to find relief in his hold. Like she didn't want to leave.

Like she didn't want to leave _him_.

Inuyasha wanted to say something but the words froze like ice in his throat. There was nothing to say. No apologies could rid of him of the guilt or keep her from leaving. How could he possibly explain why he wanted her to stay?

Did heeven _know_ why he wanted her to stay?

Kohana's eyes closed, clenching tightly shut as if warding off an impeding blow.

The fire flared higher and higher, and Inuyasha saw Shippo's face go blank. The boy's eyes widened and he gave the fire an imploring look, as if asking a question but unable to speak the words. Then, the kit's gaze went straight to Kohana and his entire body stiffened with shock. His jaw dropped and in that instant the fire disappeared. The pelt was gone, and only a flash of a fox's smile lingered in the flames before disappearing completely.

Fox-fire.

Not Shippo's childish attempts at fox-fire, but fully fledged fox-fire, strong enough to keep actual fire at bay if the demon wielding it was strong enough.

Kohana's wrist was dirt smudged and warm in Inuyasha's grasp. He felt a huge weight lift off of his shoulders as she opened her bright blue eyes to look up at him.

Her breath released in a gasp. "I'm…I'm not dead?" she asked, and Inuyasha shook his head. Shippo hopped down from his place in her arms, taking a few steps away, and Inuyasha absentmindedly noticed that he was staring up at where his father's smile had been.

Kohana was still gazing up at him, and when she reached up to place her hand on his chest—over his heart and right where Hiten had started his cut—he couldn't help but wince in pain.

"You're hurt!" she exclaimed, and while Inuyasha was glad that the odd, steadily building tension was gone, he felt slightly cheated of something.

Inuyasha shrugged. "It'll be gone in a few days," he said, and Kohana let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm never going to stop being jealous, you ass," she muttered, and Inuyasha couldn't help but smirk at the fire that was back in her eyes.

"You could _try_ ," Inuyasha drawled, and her fierce scowl caused a bark of laughter to escape his chest. With a huff, she marched past him, towards the Jewel shards, and collected them into her necklace-pouch, muttering under her breath as she went. Inuyasha watched her go, sticking his hands into his large sleeves. Shippo moved to stand next to him, and after a moment he looked up at Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha," Shippo began, and Inuyasha glanced down at him.

"Yeah?"

"Are you only protecting Kohana because she's a reincarnation?"

Inuyasha frowned. "What's it to you, twerp?"

Shippo fixed him with a serious stare that was way too old for his soft, childish face. The boy didn't say anything, and Inuyasha let out a harsh huff of air because god _dammit_ what was it with this kid and getting him to do stuff he would never normally do?

"No, I'm not," Inuyasha admitted, more softly than he intended but Shippo's ears were sharp enough to hear him.

The boy's face creased into a pleased smile, and without waiting another moment he jumped up to rub his nose against Inuyasha's. The flush of warmth in Inuyasha's chest that resulted from the action was already becoming familiar, and it was equal parts pleasing and annoying as fuck.

"Good," the boy chirped, and before Inuyasha could at the kid to scram Kohana's footsteps alerted the demons to her approach. Her lips were crusted with blood and her body was dirty beyond belief but the light in her eyes said that she was _alive_. Her movements were strong and steady as she tightened the straps of her backpack—which had somehow stayed on through all of the fighting.

"I vote half-demon speeding it back to the village and eating _all_ the food—if I have to eat fish without seasoning again I'll _scream_ ," Kohana declared, and Shippo yipped in agreement, hopping away from Inuyasha in order to take his place on her shoulder. The boy nuzzled under her jaw, pressing his cheek against hers before settling in next to her neck.

They both looked to him, then, and Inuyasha frowned at the expectant, almost _stern_ look in Shippo's eyes. Okay, he needed to have a talk alone with that kid about what had happened in the flames because all of a sudden he was… _protective_ of Kohana and that was definitely new.

Inuyasha nodded and knelt down to let Kohana get on his back.

"I was half-kidding when I said demon speed…if you're too hurt, I can totally walk," Kohana said quietly. The warmth of her breath against the sensitive shell of his ear made him flinch, and he was immensely grateful she wasn't able to see how pink his cheeks were.

Instead of replying Inuyasha started running, too confused by the conflicting desires in his mind to come up with a retort. One part of him wanted to take her up on the offer to walk because his chest really _did_ hurt and the other…the other said something very different.

After about an hour, Kohana's body begin to go limp. He should have snapped at her to snap out of it and stay awake, because dead weight was heavier than an active passenger.

But he didn't. He let her fall asleep, let her head settle into the crook between his neck and shoulder and even _slowed down_ so he didn't jostle her too much.

He tried to reason his way through it, tried to make the excuse that it was just because he needed his Jewel-detector to be well rested. But it was a hopeless attempt. Finally, he had to admit it, if only to himself: even though Inuyasha had tried to keep her at a distance, Kohana had crept under his skin.

He wanted her to stay with him.

It wasn't because she was Kikyo's reincarnation; hell, it wasn't even because she could sense Jewel shards.

Inuyasha didn't know when it had changed, but now, whenever he imagined a universe where he didn't have Kohana standing beside him, a world in which he had never met her…it made him feel oddly empty.


	16. Chapter 15: Helping Hand

Hello my lovely readers! For your patience, here is a longer chapter than usual!

Read and enjoy, or read and think "Hmmm?" because this chapter definitely takes a step in the OOC direction but as I always say...everyone in this goddamn fandom will be OOC because the heroine is DIFFERENT. Also Kagome is OOC AF and I love it because this is how I imagine Kagome would have been like if she had an older sister like Kohana and a super sassy but also super wise/intense adult male presence like Nobu.

If you all want to make me a very happy writer, and give me some extra motivation to update this story more regularly...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!** _

* * *

Chapter 15: Helping Hand

* * *

Getting sick was the _last_ thing that Kohana needed, and so it seemed appropriate that a few days after reaching Kaede's village her body decided to go and do just that.

"Fuckkkk," Kohana moaned, pressing one hand to her head in an attempt to assuage the insistent headache. A moment later she was lurching into a sitting position in order to cough thickly into a makeshift handkerchief. The rough square of cloth had once been used to clean off newly birthed calves, apparently, but Kohana was too sick to care.

"Language, child," Kaede scolded from her position by the fire. Kohana was too lost in the throbbing pain of her head to do more than grunt non-committedly. The sun was beginning to set and golden orange light flooded the hut, duller and less vibrant than the firelight but pretty all the same.

Shippo, who had been glued to her side for the past three days, let out a panicked little whimper.

"Lady Kaede, isn't there anything you can make? Some magical priestess potion that will help her get better?" he whined.

It was kind of cute how worried he was. Apparently, demons didn't get sick unless they were on their deathbed…lucky bastards.

Kaede gave the kit a mock-scowl; the spark of laughter shining in her eye softened the sternness of the gesture.

"Is that what fox demons are teaching their young these days? That we priestesses brew powerful, magical potions and dance around a fire like common witches? No, child, I do not have a 'magical priestess potion'. I have already given Kohana my strongest herbal tonic—the best thing for her now is rest," the woman assured the young demon-child, patting his head before heaving herself to her feet in order to make some tea.

Kohana gave Shippo a weak salute that was interrupted by a violent bout of coughing. It was the kind of coughing that made her entire body sweat and her stomach tremble with promises of future vomiting. Ignoring Shippo's growls of sympathy, Kohana made to lie back down.

But before she could do so the door mat flew open and a scowling Inuyasha marched into the room.

"That is _it_. I've had to listen to this hacking and wheezing for _days_ —why the fuck aren't you better already?" he snapped, and Kohana somehow found the strength to lift her hand and bend her fingers to properly flip him off. He scoffed at that before marching over and sniffing in her direction. Shippo intently watched Inuyasha; the fox's own nose was twitching as he moved to mirror Inuyasha's movements.

Kohana groaned. "Can you guys stop scanning me with your freaky demon receptors? I'm _sick_ , that's all it is!"

Inuyasha ignored her but that wasn't a surprise; he usually did when he was intently focused on something. Kohana let him examine her without a fuss, having learned by now that it was better to just let him worry and hover than try to tell him that she was fine.

The half-demon wasn't the type to believe anything but his own senses.

When his fingers gently traced her burning forehead—the claws kissed her skin in a way that should have frightened her but instead sent a _different_ sort of chill racing across her skin—Kohana became very grateful she had a fever. Under normal circumstances Inuyasha would have been able to feel the blush blooming under her skin. Now, though, it just blended in with her already-feverish skin.

Kohana knew she was messed up in the head when it came to Inuyasha touching her. It was something she craved and it was really not okay because she could feel a distant echo of desires that were definitely _not_ her own. She had slowly been learning to differentiate between her impulses and Kikyo's, and to her shame some of them that popped up were her own. But in her defense, the majority of them _were_ Kikyo's.

For instance, Kohana _hated_ the flavor mint. Loathed it, even. Therefore it was so strange that yesterday, while watching Inuyasha finish a cup of mint tea, she _felt_ something. It was such a brief, fleeting thing, but for that moment Kohana could _feel_ the warm pressure of Inuyasha's mouth and taste the delicious sharpness of mint on his tongue as it tangled with hers—

Yeah. Pretty fucked up, huh? It wasn't even something Kohana could enjoy because it felt like an invasion, like a violation of her very _being_. Kikyo was becoming stronger and stronger every day, almost like being near her sister and Inuyasha was solidifying her presence in Kohana's body. The big question was: why hadn't Kohana felt Kikyo in the years before coming to the feudal era? Why was it _now_ that the dead priestess was making herself known?

The first time she felt Kikyo's presence was the day she met Inuyasha, in the moments before she released Inuyasha from his prison.

Was releasing Inuyasha the catalyst?

The worst part? Kohana still had her _own_ desires. She forced herself not to lean into the touch of his hand on her forehead, but it was really, really hard. His cool, calloused skin was both a relief and a torturous thing.

"The medicine's not working," Inuyasha muttered under his breath, his mouth turning downwards into a harsh scowl. Kaede perked up at that. Her wrinkled face shifted into an expression of incredulity.

"Are you telling me that your demon senses can determine whether medicine has any effect on the human body?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, but the serious furrow of his brow was answer enough. Kaede seemed ready to ask a million questions but thought better of it. She probably knew that asking Inuyasha to explain himself would be akin to talking to a wall.

Without giving her any warning, Inuyasha slid one forearm under Kohana's knees and the other around her upper back, lifting her up into his arms in one smooth motion. Kohana yelped in surprise but the motion sent her stomach churching, and so instead of yelling at him she chose to close her eyes and purse her lips together to try and stave off the urge to vomit.

"Inuyasha, what the _hell_?" Kohana hissed a second or two later, once the retching sensation went away. Kaede was on her feet as well and her gaze was full of guarded curiosity.

"Inuyasha, she should not be moved—"

The half-demon in question glared at her. "She's not getting any better sitting here in this musty hut, is she? I'm taking her through the well—the medicine there is more advanced, right?" he finished, looking down at Kohana to confirm.

Kohana stared dumbly at him for a few moments before nodding. She had mentioned that to Kaede in passing a few days ago…Inuyasha hadn't even been in the same _room_ as them! Fuck him and his stupid, stupid demon senses!

"Hand me her bag, will ya? Don't want to leave the Jewel shards here unprotected," Inuyasha barked to Kaede, who fixed the half-demon with a baleful glare—undoubtedly piqued at the implication that leaving the shards with Kaede was the same as 'unprotected' in Inuyasha's book—before doing as he asked.

Kohana felt a warm weight and looked down to see Shippo clinging to her chest. She let out a chuckle and held him tight with the arm that wasn't pinned against Inuyasha's body.

"We'll be back before you know it," she wheezed, and Shippo nodded against her collarbone, still not lifting his face from the crook in her neck. She could feel him taking deep, shaky breaths.

Having a small child actively smell her skin and growl so lowly that shivers tickled her pulse point should have unnerved her more than it did. She blamed Inuyasha and his weird, demon ways—she was getting used to people smelling her in lieu of using words.

Inuyasha shifted Kohana in his arms to accept her bag, extending the arm under her knees forward so that that hand was free. The movement caused Shippo to look up at him. Inuyasha stared down at the demon child for a second before jerking his chin in Kaede's direction.

"Look after the hag—I expect you to have traps set around this territory by the time we get back. Can't have demons just waltzing in, can we?"

Shippo's face brightened with the weight of this new task. Kohana couldn't help but smile at how quickly the kit's sour mood had shifted thanks to Inuyasha's delegation. After giving Kohana one last cheek nuzzle, Shippo jumped down to stand by Kaede's side.

Kohana waited until they were almost to the well before bringing it up.

"He's lucky to have you, you know that right?" she murmured as Inuyasha gingerly hopped onto the lip of the well. She had long since abandoned her attempts to be stiff and unyielding in his arms, letting her aching head lean against his chest. Focusing on his heartbeat distracted her from how shitty her body felt at the moment.

Inuyasha frowned down at her. His deep golden eyes were slightly narrowed in confusion. They also looked freaking _gorgeous_ in the light of the sunset, but she'd eat that gross cow birthing cloth before ever admitting _that_ out loud to anyone.

" _Shippo_ , dude," Kohana emphasized, her exasperated sigh quickly turning into a long bout of coughing. Inuyasha snorted in disbelief and chose to jump into the well instead of answering. Typical Inuyasha, huh?

Kohana was effectively distracted from her irritation because apparently, time travel was _awful_ for the stomach. They were exiting the well house when it finally happened.

The words "Inuyasha, I'm gonna—" barely got out of her mouth before she was twisting out of Inuyasha's arms and vomiting into the bushes beside the shed.

Kohana's entire body heaved painfully; she could _feel_ the veins of her neck bulge as her stomach struggled to empty itself. Only stomach acid and water came up, because she hadn't been able to eat anything for the past day, and that made it even worse.

"Humans are disgusting," Inuyasha muttered, wisely choosing not to touch her during this unpleasant turn of events. "Really, you should hear the sounds your _insides_ are making—"

"Stop. _Talking_ ," Kohana growled, though in her current state it came out as more of a groan.

"Kohana?" Kagome's voice questioned sharply.

Kohana wiped her mouth before shakily turning to smile at her friend. The fifteen-year-old was wearing her painting clothes—baggy shirt, jean shorts, no shoes and her hair pulled up into a low ponytail.

"Oh hey, what's up?" Kohana greeted. "Don't mind me, I'm just casually dying over here."

Kagome was by her side in an instant, her arm around Kohana's shoulders. Kohana leaned into her friend's embrace; she could smell the harsh chemicals of paint but underneath that was the familiar, comforting mix of laundry detergent and Kagome's sugary sweet perfume.

"Oh you poor dramatic _baby_ ," she snarked, feeling at Kohana's forehead. The girl sobered after a moment, her gaze softening in sympathy. "C'mon, let's get you into bed and I'll pump you full of drugs, okay?" Kagome soothed.

Kohana glanced over to see that Inuyasha was eyeing Kagome with a distinct air of distrust. He probably remembered his last, decisively more aggressive encounter with the girl and was struggling to put that image together with this sweeter, more mothering one.

She started to laugh but that quickly digressed into violent coughing. Inuyasha said something over her head but the ringing in her ears and the heaving of her breaths made it hard to hear. Kagome's gentle, soft hands helped her to her feet and carefully maneuvered her to the dojo and up the stairs to Nobu's apartment.

It took what felt like forever, but then again Kohana's vision was hazy and more than a little swirly at the moment, so her judgment of time probably wasn't the most reliable.

Once inside the kitchen, Kagome passed Kohana off to Inuyasha for a moment so she could rush to the medicine cabinet above the oven. Nobu bought all of their medicine from some place outside the city; it was different from the stuff Kagome's family used but no one could deny that it freaking _worked_. Kohana didn't get sick very often—she could count on one hand the amount of times she had gotten more than an itchy nose—but when she did, Nobu's preferred medicine was the only thing that had any effect.

Kagome filled a large teaspoon with a thick, muddy green liquid that smelled like licorice but tasted like anything and everything terrible. Kohana tossed it back, knowing better than to make it worse by hesitating.

One moment she was in the kitchen and a blink later she was in her bed and staring around at the familiar walls of her room without quite knowing how she got there. Kagome's face loomed above her, made somehow even more beautiful by the smudges of yellow and red paint on her cheeks.

"Nobu and Mama are with Souta for his weekend science retreat, so it's just me here to take care of you," she said softly, placing a blissfully cold compress on Kohana's forehead.

A loud, pointed cough sounded from somewhere to Kohana's right, and Kagome rolled her eyes before correcting:

"Okay, _not_ just me."

Was Inuyasha still there? Kohana's eyelids were heavy, but she managed to turn her head enough to see that indeed he was. He was standing just inside her room, his arms stuck inside the large sleeves of his robe in such a way that was too stiff to be considered a casual stance.

"Play nice," Kohana commanded, eyes never leaving Inuyasha's. The half-demon's brow creased as he lifted his lip slightly to show her fang.

"Don't tell me what to do," he retorted, and Kagome let out a delighted laugh. Kohana heard the murmurings of something said under her friend's breath but was too sleepy to catch it. Her entire body felt drained and so finally she let herself give in to the tiredness and fell into a light doze.

The soft sounds of Kagome leaving the room echoed in her mind, overlapping with the sounds of her own wheezy breathing until it seemed almost too much for her senses to bear. But then it was gone and blissful silence reigned.

Just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt her compress being adjusted, so fractionally that she wondered why it was being moved at all. But a moment later she felt the tickling sensation of long, straight hair brushing against her neck.

It all made sense, then.

"Stop fussing," Kohana mumbled, not bothering to open her eyes. Inuyasha's hair immediately moved away from her but she knew he was still there.

"Why are you still awake?" he asked under his breath, and Kohana let out an amused sigh.

"Because _someone's_ fussing over me, that's why."

"I don't _fuss_ ," was Inuyasha's grumpy reply even as he gently brushed his fingers against her fevered cheek—a direct contradiction to his harsh tone. "Go the fuck to sleep."

"When has telling me what to do _ever_ worked?" Kohana asked, leaning into his touch because his skin was cold and also because she was weaker than usual when it came to pretending that Inuyasha didn't affect her like he did.

A scoff. "Never."

"You don't sound too disappointed."

"Sleep, Kohana."

And surprisingly, she did.

* * *

Inuyasha closed the door behind him, his nose still full of Kohana's scent. Sickness soured her usual smell and put his senses on high alert. The last time he had willingly put himself within touching distance of a sick human, he had been fifty years old. Barely older than Shippo but still able to know that something was terribly wrong with his mother. Able to smell the blood pulsing through her frail human veins and recognize that the medicine wasn't _working_ anymore—

Kagome was boiling some water for tea in the kitchen, using the strange box Kohana called a "stove". The girl was several years younger than Kohana; Inuyasha could smell the youth beneath the cloyingly sweet perfume she wore.

Inuyasha watched her as she set out a variety of tea containers, each smelling of a different blend. She moved differently than Kohana did—like she didn't have a care in the world, blissfully unaware and a bit clumsy as a result. Kohana, on the other hand, moved like a dancer—smoothly but with deadly control behind every step.

Kagome caught sight of him standing at the door and sent him a knowing smile that made Inuyasha's hackles rise.

"You're still here, huh? I would say I'm surprised, but that would be a big fat lie," she mused mildly, turning back to her tea selection without waiting for his reaction. With deft hands she began to take pinches of tea and place them into a small metal-wire contraption. It made Inuyasha's stomach twist because it was done with the same flowing efficiency that Kikyo had possessed when sorting her medicine stores.

The boy scowled, pushing the unwelcome ache from his mind and focusing on his response.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"You know _exactly_ what it means, Yasha—I can call you Yasha, right? It's what I've been calling you in my head and yeah don't even bother answering because it's what I'm going to call you. End of discussion."

Inuyasha watched the girl's hair swing back and forth as she put together her tea mixture, glad that she wasn't watching him because a small smirk had come to his mouth unbidden.

She and Kohana really _were_ sisters.

His smirk faded when her words sank in.

"Stop dancing around it and tell me what you mean, already," he demanded, crossing his arms across his chest. Kagome sent him a curious look, the look shifting into exasperation when she saw that his question was genuine. She finished making her tea and let it steep in the teapot for several long minutes (so _that's_ what the small woven metal basket thing was for) before pouring two cups. She set both on the kitchen table, gesturing to the unclaimed one with a carefully manicured hand.

It was only the delicious smell of the tea—a strange, exotic scent Inuyasha had never encountered before—that made Inuyasha sit down. That was what he told himself, anyway.

Kagome curved her fingers around her cup, staring at Inuyasha intently. Her eyes were a rich, warm brown color. For an instant Inuyasha could almost see Kikyo in them, could almost feel the weight of the priestess' stare in the face of this young human girl. But then Kagome blinked and the feeling vanished.

"Kohana is scared of you, you know," she said softly, and Inuyasha's spine stiffened. Never once had Inuyasha smelled fear in Kohana's scent where their interactions were concerned, and yet Kagome's gaze was so earnest that Inuyasha began to doubt himself.

And no matter how firmly he tried to squash it, there was a tiny piece of him that felt relief.

Because he was scared of her, too.

Kagome continued, "Not in a 'oh, he's going to kill me' sort of way. Nah, it's nothing like that. It's Kikyo that scares her, and therefore _you_ scare her."

Inuyasha almost bit his tongue with how hard his teeth clacked together at the realization that Kagome knew about Kikyo. Kohana had betrayed his _trust_ , but why was he surprised? Humans tended to do that, in the end.

"She told you," he bit out.

Kagome's eyes were soft but still stern as she replied:

"Don't you dare get mad at her for that. Who _else_ is she going to talk to about this whole reincarnation dilemma? _You_?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to argue, but found that the words wouldn't leave his throat. He let his lips close into a frustrated scowl, but the silence was answer enough for Kagome it seemed because she sat back and mildly sipped at her tea.

"She cares about you, more than she'll ever admit, and the Kikyo thing is _killing_ her. It's killing both of you, if the way you look at her tells me anything—oh stop it with the denial!" Kagome whined loudly as Inuyasha started to shake his head and sputter out a rebuttal.

Because Kagome was _wrong_. Inuyasha loved Kikyo—now that she was dead, he supposed that it was her memory he continued to love—and that was it! Kohana was…was his _friend_ , the closest he had ever had to one anyway, and that was all it could ever be. It was all he could allow himself to have.

He had already lost two human women to circumstances outside of his control, he wouldn't lose a third to something he _could_ control.

Kagome set down her teacup with a loud _clack_ and leaned forward to pin Inuyasha with a sharp glare. Nobu must have given the girl some tips because Inuyasha felt a stab of genuine nervousness at the sight.

"Just _stop._ I'm not telling you to go profess your undying love—neither of you are at that point and who _knows_ if you ever will be. I'm just telling you: be _aware_ of how easily this could go to shit. Forget the gross and frankly obscene amount of sexual tension—that's just something you both will have to live with. But Yasha, don't you see how much she trusts you? That's not because she has Kikyo's soul, you know that, right?"

Inuyasha tried to snort at that—he may even have achieved a slight huff of breath for his efforts—but inside, his mind was painfully blank. Inside, Kagome's words echoed and echoed and _echoed_.

He couldn't afford to read into them. He couldn't afford to think about what Kagome's revelation could possibly _mean_ —

"Fuck off," Inuyasha said numbly, trying and failing to inject venom into his voice. Kagome sighed and shook her head slightly.

"You know I'm right. If you didn't know, if you didn't feel what Kohana is starting to feel, you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't have brought her here, you wouldn't have stayed behind to help her go to sleep, and you _definitely_ wouldn't be sitting here listening to me."

Inuyasha snarled, then, loudly enough to where Kagome flinched back. Kohana never flinched at the sound of his growl, Inuyasha noted, and that casual comparison made his chest _clench_ because fuck it all to _pieces_ …the stupid human girl was _right_.

He was dragged back to the day he had almost kissed Kohana, both of them standing before the Go-Shin-Boku, and his chest tightened even more. He had wanted to kiss _her_. Not an echo of Kikyo, not a memory, but _her_.

"I don't love her," Inuyasha spat out in a rush, anxious to relieve the pressure on his chest and relieved when it lessened somewhat. It was the truth—he didn't love Kohana, he loved Kikyo and that hadn't changed.

Kagome looked at him for a long moment and Inuyasha wondered just how in the hell a fifteen-year-old was able to exude such a gentle yet unyielding aura. Was it Nobu's influence? Her mother's?

Her brown eyes were reminding him of Kikyo again.

Inuyasha found himself wondering at the irony; the reincarnation of Kikyo had gained only a slight resemblance to her, while the reincarnation's surrogate sister had her eyes—wasn't there an old human saying that eyes were windows to the soul?—and aura.

And yet Inuyasha wasn't attracted to Kagome in the slightest. She made him wary, made him on edge with her ability to flip back and forth between emotions with unsettling precision, but beyond that there was only a vague curiosity.

Kohana was different from Kikyo in every aspect, from the color and sharpness of her eyes to the way she spoke to children. Even though Kikyo's soul inhabited her body there was nothing _about_ that body that really reminded him of the woman who had betrayed him—the woman he had loved. Kagome had the more prominently feminine curves that Kikyo had possessed, albeit in a smaller frame, and her smile and gentle tone when caring for Kohana could have been pulled straight from Inuyasha's memories of Kikyo tending to sick children. He knew somewhere deep down that he _should_ be more drawn to Kagome.

And yet he wasn't.

Kagome let the silence continue for another breath or two before nodding. She didn't respond to his blurted statement, not that there was much to say in response, and Inuyasha hurried to down his tea in one gulp. It had cooled enough to not burn his tongue and so he was able to savor the thick taste of herbs and floral sweetness. Kagome finished her tea more slowly; long minutes ticked by until her cup was finally empty.

"Want to learn how to make Kohana's favorite soup? She'll need to eat some food when she wakes up and I don't think anything else will stay down," Kagome said casually, efficiently clearing the table and tossing the offer over her shoulder as she walked to the kitchen.

Inuyasha blinked dumbly at her, once again shocked by the sudden shift from quiet and earnest to light-hearted and friendly. It was something that Kohana did when she had something to say but decided against it. Inuyasha wondered if Kagome was doing the same thing—offering a change of subject rather than put herself in a position to say something that she would regret.

The half-demon tilted his head to listen for Kohana's breathing and heartbeat, only relaxing when both were steady and normal. She was fine, now. She had medicine that was working and she would be healed within a day or so. There was no reason for him to stay.

But he _wanted_ to stay.

And so he did, following Kagome into the kitchen but keeping a careful ear on Kohana as she slept—enviably unaware—in the next room.


	17. Chapter 16: Fever Dream

Welp...I couldnt stop thinking about this and so screw the rules I posted it.

This is probably the boldest storyline/character move I've made so far, and I promise to every deity in existence that it WILL make sense eventually, that I'm not just trying to make Kohana better than the original Kagome, or, god forbid, that I'm trying to make things easier on our characters just because I'm lazy. Trust me, I'm the queen of angst, and if anything I'm making the story even more heart breaking which is HARD, Y'ALL, CUZ THIS STUFF IS ALREADY SADDER THAN 'OLD YELLER' AND 'ATONEMENT' COMBINED

(kudos to those who know what the movie Atonement is because good GOD it reminds me of Kikyo and Inuyasha in all the most painful ways)

I want to make this a different story than the original, because I truly do believe that that's what you all are sticking around for. What fun would this be if Kohana didnt change things, both for good and bad?

Anyhoo, I would love to hear your thoughts and predictions as to what this particular interaction/revelation will do to affect the rest of the story!

So...

 **PLEASE REVIEW!**

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Chapter 16: Fever Dream

* * *

Kohana's been sick before, and she's had weird dreams before, but never have the two combined in such a spectacularly _terrifying_ way.

One moment she felt the cool, callous-roughed touch of Inuyasha's strong fingers against her skin. The Kikyo part of her had both rejoiced and spat in the face of it, something Kohana tried to ignore in favor of letting herself simply enjoy it. Inuyasha's soft breathing and the shift of his robe as he settled in closer helped lull her to sleep along with the roughened rasp of his voice as he said her name.

Gods, she _loved_ how he said her name.

But then in the next moment she was gone, sinking into a sickly sweet darkness until, in a flash of light, she was standing on solid ground, no, _sitting_ on solid ground. The forest was behind her as she stared out into a beautiful meadow. The sun was directly above the field and a soft breeze rustled the long grasses.

A soft sigh made Kohana freeze because _someone was next to her,_ close enough that she could feel the brush of the person's clothing against her thigh and smell the faint aroma of herbs that clung to them.

Kohana knew that it was all in her head—she had had these eerily familiar dreams before, when she was a child and still scared of so many things—and yet ice trickled down her spine because this was _different_ , somehow.

A young woman sat beside her, clad in the red and white attire of a feudal priestess. For an instant, a split instant, Kohana relaxed because it was _Kagome_. The long, mostly straight hair, the beautiful curves of her face and the soft brown eyes…her friend had manifested strangely in her fever-induced dream, that was all!

But then the girl turned to face Kohana and the comparison fled because this was _not_ Kagome. She was several years older than Kagome, for starters, a bit older than Kohana if she had to guess. The eyes were a similar color, yes, but the shape of them was different, more angular and sharp. Her skin was pale as snow while Kagome's had a slight tan from her days spent outside during the summer and early autumn months.

The greatest difference lay in the way the girl looked at her; with pity, as if Kohana was dying and didn't realize it yet.

"Hello, Kohana," the girl said quietly, sadly, her voice low and soothing and yet Kohana was anything but soothed. Because in her heart, in her very _bones_ , she knew who this was.

"Kikyo," Kohana breathed.

Kikyo nodded once, a regal gesture that sent Kohana into a panic because Kikyo was sitting right in _front of her_ and did that mean that Kohana was—

"You're not dead," Kikyo murmured, a tinge of amusement lacing her voice. Kohana stared at her, asking the question with the pointed silence, and Kikyo tilted her head to the side in order to stare at the meadow again.

"Of course I see your thoughts; we share the same body. From the moment you awakened me by releasing Inuyasha from my spell, I have been awake and living with you. Your memories are my memories; I share your sights and smells and feelings as if they were my own. And yet…I know that they're _not_ mine."

"You've seen _everything_?" Kohana asked shakily, her mind unwillingly going back to every less than pleasant moment in her life.

Some of them weren't so bad, such as the younger years when embarrassment was easily washed away with time and with the innocence of being young. But there were other moments, darker ones, like the pleasure she felt when she broke that asshole's wrist after he taunted her about pedophiles seeing her as a little boy, like the rush she felt after breaking up with Toshi—boring, but still _kind_ Toshi. Both were times that she looked back on with shame because she had _enjoyed_ them.

Kikyo's eyes crinkled as she cracked a genuine smile. The expression was so strange to see on the priestess—her own _sister_ described her as reserved and distant.

Instead of responding to Kohana's question, the dead priestess reached out to touch her face. The girl's hand was cool, not like death but instead like the mist that came in from the sea in the hours before dawn. It felt nice against the embarrassed flush on Kohana's cheek.

The priestess' touch felt strange, because Kohana's hand tingled as if she was touching her _own_ cheek, and yet she knew that _Kikyo_ was the one touching her. It was like Kikyo said—they felt what the other felt because they shared a body.

The separation was only in mind and soul.

"Where are we?" Kohana asked, bracing herself against the tree at her back and standing. Kikyo rose as well, her smile fading and her face settling back into the neutral mask of the powerful priestess.

"In one of my final memories," she said simply, but with a bitterness that made Kohana's chest ache. She sucked in a deep breath at the feel of Kikyo's hand on her shoulder. The girl was taller than her and so Kohana had to look up slightly to meet her eyes.

"Kohana—" Kikyo began, her tone urgent. "—you said yourself that you wished you could speak with me. You felt what I felt when I shot Inuyasha and trapped him against the Go-Shin-Boku, but you don't know _why_ I did it."

Kohana stepped away from the dead priestess, anger surging through her at the memory of Inuyasha's broken expression.

"He only stole the Shikon Jewel because _you_ tried to kill him. You called him a disgusting half-breed!" Kohana seethed, and Kikyo's expression hardened.

"And you believed him. But of course you did; he was…very convincing, and you didn't have any evidence to prove otherwise," the girl said, almost to herself, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Kohana could feel the curls of Kikyo's anger licking at her own skin and if she were calmer she would have marveled at the sensation.

Two minds, two souls, sharing one body and yet able to meet as separate beings on this strange mental level.

"I _loved_ him, against my better judgment and against _everything_ I had been taught in my years of training. I trusted him with everything I had—my hopes, my fears, the life of my _sister_. I was going to give us the chance to live peaceful lives, I was freeing _both_ of us from our obligations…and yet..."

Kohana felt a chill in the air, something dark, and everything in her burned to run. But whatever kept them there was solid, holding Kohana in place even when her body screamed at her to hide. Kikyo was staring at her and those brown eyes became larger and larger and sucked Kohana in—

Suddenly, Kohana wasn't Kohana anymore. She was Kikyo _and she was walking across the field with the Jewel—full, pure, untouched by any darkness—in her hands. Her heart felt so unbearably full with the depth of her love and excitement. Inuyasha was never late and so she knew that she would only have to wait a few minutes for him to show. She had been so eager that she left the house early, wanting to calm herself before facing Inuyasha._

 _She didn't want him to misread the anxiousness in her scent as something else—Inuyasha would think that she was having second thoughts, and that was the farthest thing from the truth._

 _Just a few minutes more, and then she and Inuyasha would be_ free _. Her from her oppressive duty to always keep_ fighting _, and him from the half-demon aspect that ostracized him from demon and human kind alike. The purity of their wish would allow the Jewel to disappear from existence, she was sure of that._

 _Inuyasha_ wanted _to be with her. There was no reason to doubt, no reason to lump him with the other demons that had come for the Jewel. He had been her friend and confidant for two years, and she knew him better than she knew herself._

 _He would come, and they would begin their lives together as husband and wife._

Kohana felt something, then, something that memory-Kikyo wasn't aware of, something that ripped at her senses like a foul stench. It was a demon's energy in the forest behind her, one that sent chills skittering up and down her spine because it was _familiar_.

But it wasn't Inuyasha's.

She could feel Kikyo's current consciousness (the part that wasn't swept up in the memory) spike in confusion, because she could feel what Kohana was feeling and it wasn't anything she had felt before.

 _She stopped in the center of the meadow, staring into the surrounding forest for signs of Inuyasha. His mother's rouge sat in her robe pocket, and with a smile she fished it out, staring down at the rich red color. Would he be surprised to see her wearing it? Would it make him even more excited to enact the Jewel's wish?_

 _The rouge distracted her from any surrounding sounds—what did she have to fear? Inuyasha was coming any minute and she had already scanned the area for enemy demons._

 _She had barely started to dip her finger in the rouge pot when a blinding,_ excruciating _pain ripped through her shoulder and upper body. It felt almost like a sword…no,_ demon claws—

Shock and horror boiled in Kohana's gut as she saw through Kikyo's heartbroken eyes the form of Inuyasha begin to taunt her with cruel words and broken promises. She struggled to separate from the feeling because the demon _wasn't Inuyasha_. It was evil and dark and sickly triumphant, everything Inuyasha wasn't (even when he tried to be) and she knew that the Kikyo outside the memory could feel it too.

It sent sharp jabs of discomfort shooting through Kohana's skull and the back of her neck because she had _felt_ this demon's energy before and yet how _could_ she have? Was this Kikyo's influence?

Not-Inuyasha grabbed the Jewel and raced off to destroy the village, leaving Kohana to sob along with Kikyo because _how could Inuyasha have done this? Was everything he told her a lie? Their kisses, their touches, the passionate burning of his golden eyes when he told her he loved her before saying goodnight yesterday?_

 _She would stop him, even if it killed her and left the village to suffer without her protection, because she was the guardian of the Jewel and she had let love and softness get in the way of her duty—_

—a harsh ringing in Kohana's ears instantly dissolved the memory, leaving Kohana and Kikyo standing in that same sticky darkness of her fevered mind. Both of them were panting, trying to recover from the memory.

"Kikyo—" Kohana started but Kikyo cut her off, her entire body blazing and _broken_.

"It _can't_ be. I would have sensed it, I would have _known_ that a demon was impersonating Inuyasha!" she spat.

Kohana shook her head, leaning over to resist the urge to vomit. The pain of Not-Inuyasha's claws was gone but the vivid memory of it was enough to make her stomach turn.

"Kikyo, you went into shock. You lost a lot of blood, you saw someone who looked _exactly_ like Inuyasha saying everything you were afraid the _real_ Inuyasha would say. It's not your fault—"

" _Silence_!" Kikyo yelled, and Kohana felt a wave of power wash over her, so angry and so _wounded_ that she felt another sob rise in her throat. Kikyo's face was more open in that moment than Kohana believed it had ever been while she was alive, and she was hurting so deeply that Kohana almost would have preferred the burn of being torn open by demon claws.

"Your presence must have shifted the memory, must have made my own perceptions false in this specific recollection," Kikyo tried to reason, hands so tightly curled into fists that Kohana could see the tendons strain against her skin.

"Kikyo, you're a part of me, and I'm a part of you. Am I lying? _Could_ I lie to you, even if I wanted to?" Kohana asked, her hands shaking slightly with the effort of keeping her anger at bay. Kikyo didn't respond, her face averted in an attempt to hide her expression.

But Kohana didn't need to see the girl's face to feel the conflict raging in her heart…the _need_ to hold on to the anger and the hate because the alternative was just too painful to bear.

Her ability to focus suddenly faltered, causing her to stagger slightly. She was shocked to see Kikyo's face crumple with concern and the girl rush to her side, her hands gentle even as they trembled.

"The medicine is allowing your mind to strengthen the barriers between our souls. I do not know when we will get the chance to speak like this again," Kikyo explained softly, and Kohana gripped at the girl tightly, feeling an unexpected warmth towards her. But it wasn't unexpected, not really.

How could she hate someone who shared her body and lived in harmony with her soul?

"I'm sorry, Kikyo," she whispered, trying to focus on the girl's face. The priestess' expression didn't change—she didn't need to ask what Kohana was apologizing for.

"I'm sorry, too. I don't mean to share my emotions so strongly when it comes to him, but I just…"

Kohana felt tears welling up at the bitter longing in Kikyo's tone and her heart ached with the unfairness of it all. Who was she to have any claim on Inuyasha whatsoever? How could she justify developing feelings for him when his former love—tricked into thinking Inuyasha was the one who tried to kill her—was trapped inside of her and forced to witness it?

Kikyo's thumb wiped away a tear that escaped Kohana's eye, a tear of her own escaping at the exact same moment.

"Kohana—" Kikyo began, but then the haze settled in for good, pulling Kikyo away from her and sending Kohana careening through the darkness. Kohana tried to call Kikyo back, but something heavy was blocking her path, only allowing the faint flicker that was Kikyo's presence to seep through.

With a harsh gasp, Kohana awoke from her dream with tears streaming down her cheeks and terrible knowledge slowly tearing her heart in two.


	18. Chapter 17: Terrible Truths

So...this happened.

I'm sure some of you will balk at the quickness in which things are revealed, but honestly...screw allllllll of that. Kohana isn't the type to hold onto this degree of knowledge, not even at the risk of alienating her friend because this is _huge_. This isn't just "Oh wow, ick, got to feel Kikyo die that's not fun" this is "HOLY SHEEIT KIKYO AND INUYASHA WERE TRICKED INTO THINKING THE OTHER BETRAYED THEM/KIKYO HAS ACCESS TO MY EVERY THOUGHT AND MEMORY AND SHE STILL LOVES INUYASHA FACK FACK FACK".

I also decided to make this a fairly short chapter, and I hope you'll see why...I can't really bring myself to try and write a whole other POV after how this chapter ends...

This story isn't all angst, you know. Trust me, it feels that way now, but to be fair the show/manga didnt tap into the freaking GRIEF of this situation (aka Inuyasha being faced with a girl who has Kikyo's SOUL and that girl in question starting to care deeply about him) as early on as it should have. Like, it took until wayyyyy later in the series for some of this stuff to come up. Not super late, mind you, but way later than it should have in my opinion.

In short, I promise that lighter parts will be coming soon...just not too soon because this situation is BIG and I refuse to gloss over it for the sake of fluff and happy times. Happy times - blissfully, BEAUTIFULLY SASSY happy times - will come. But for now, let's give this f-ed up situation the angst it deserves, shall we?

As always, comments/critiques are appreciated! I didn't get much feedback last chapter, and I would love to hear your guys' thoughts on the changes I'm making!

If you want more ASAP...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 17: Terrible Truths

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Inuyasha immediately awoke from his light doze outside of Kohana's room at the sound of a pained gasp. The muted light coming in through the white curtains told him it was just before dawn but he was too busy standing up to give it much thought. The vestiges of sleep hurriedly fled his body as he flung the door open and rushed inside, his hand on Tessaiga and eyes scanning the room for the cause of it all.

He found nothing but Kohana sitting up in her bed. The scent of sickness was nearly gone—that medicine had worked strangely quickly for something created by humans—but the smell of sadness hung thickly in the air. The girl turned to look at him and something in her face seemed to crack like hardened clay placed under pressure.

" _Inuyasha_ ," she sobbed, curling her knees up and holding them tightly against her chest. The half-demon was thoroughly confused—what the hell had gotten Kohana so worked up? Bad dreams? He was no stranger to nightmares; he had woken up from them almost every night for the first decade after his mother died.

 _Does it matter what it was? She's_ pack, the demon urged, and Inuyasha found that he couldn't quite argue with that reasoning.

After untying Tessaiga from his waist and leaning it against the bed mattress, he carefully sat down behind her, letting his instincts guide him as he slowly put his legs on either side of her body. Several moments passed, tense and full of his unspoken offer. Inuyasha wondered if he had made a mistake, if following his demon instincts was wrong when it came to Kohana.

The half-demon huffed a sigh of relief when Kohana turned around in order to press herself against his upper body. Her skin held that drowsy warmth that always came with sleep and Inuyasha tried very hard not to be obvious about how he was purposefully breathing in the scent of it; he wasn't a pup anymore, dammit, he didn't _need_ that sort of thing.

But fuck, after an entire afternoon spent with Kagome's harshly floral perfume clogging his senses, Kohana's natural scent was as welcome as the first signs of spring in a frozen forest.

"Inuyasha, I need…you need to _know_ …" Kohana babbled brokenly, the slurred aspect to her words making Inuyasha wonder if she was fully awake yet. He didn't respond, just in case she wasn't, silently sliding his hands around her and holding her tightly against him. It felt natural, normal even, to have her slender and deceptively strong body against his.

Inuyasha realized, then, that his instinct to hold her didn't just stem from a desire to shield her from danger or to comfort her in times of distress. There was also no fear in his mind that she would break if he held her too tightly, nor was there any attempt to keep his claws from brushing up against her skin. The thought that she would be less than pleased with his demon traits—his sharp fangs and claws that had kept him alive for a century and a half, his speed and enhanced senses that allowed him to experience the world in ways humans never could—didn't even cross his _mind_ , as it had so often with Kikyo and nearly all of the other humans he had encountered in his life.

No…he held Kohana close because he _wanted_ to. _  
_

Inuyasha began to growl softly, allowing the sound to fill his chest and create a steady vibration. His mother had often told him stories of how whenever Inuyasha would be restless inside of her womb, his father laid his head against her protruding belly and used that same growl to calm the baby inside.

"Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha ceased the growling and peered down at the girl in his arms. She stared up into his face, her eyes clear of sleep and piercingly blue even in the dim lighting of her room.

"Yeah?" he asked, hoping she didn't notice how his voice cracked a bit. What the fuck was _wrong_ with him? He had declared to Kagome that he didn't have feelings for Kohana, not like _that_ anyway, and yet something clenched around his heart like a vice when she looked at him with such _openness_ in her gaze.

"Do you trust me?" she asked.

"Some of the time," was his instinctive quip back. He let out a short chuckle at the downward twist to her lips—Kohana always looked like a disgruntled cat when she was irritated.

"Be serious."

Inuyasha huffed, but did as she commanded—her scent was spiking with genuine nervousness and it made him uneasy.

"Yeah, I do."

There was a long pause after his reply. Inuyasha could practically taste the hesitation in the air, and had given up hope of her responding when suddenly:

"You know I wouldn't lie about anything to do with Kikyo, right?"

Inuyasha could understand Kagome wanting to talk to him about Kikyo; she wanted to make sure his friendship with Kohana wasn't an attempt to replace a dead love. It made sense, in an unfortunately logical way, and so while Kagome's probing pissed him off Inuyasha couldn't find much fault with it.

But why the fuck would _Kohana_ willingly bring up the subject of Kikyo?

Kohana saw the wary look in his eyes and closed hers tightly, her expression creasing in an effort to remain composed.

"I promise, I'm _not_ crazy. When I told you I could see bits of Kikyo's memories and feel what she felt in them…it wasn't a lie. But Inuyasha, when I fell asleep, I got pulled in deeper than usual. I was _there_ , like…I was Kikyo and she was me."

Inuyasha's mind urged him to understand that Kohana was mistaken, that she was confused and it was all a bad dream, but his demon senses perked up and slapped him across the face with the honest truth in her scent and posture.

He was gripping Kohana too tightly, he knew, but she didn't complain and he almost wished she would. He wanted to push her away from him and hold her even closer, both at the same time.

Kikyo could be _inside_ her. Was it possible that she wasn't just an echo, that she wasn't just a brief glimpse in the tense curve of Kohana's jaw when she was thinking deeply or in the rich darkness of her hair?

But Inuyasha couldn't afford to blindly trust in Kohana's words. He trusted her—he hadn't lied when he said that—but he also knew that she had recently been deliriously ill and had had what looked like a pretty bad nightmare.

"Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?" he probed, his tone more skeptical than he intended it to be, and Kohana's expression sagged with sympathy.

"She went to the meadow early because she was so nervous," Kohana began; her voice a soft murmur that easily reached Inuyasha's sensitive ears. "We— _she_ —waited for a bit before remembering your mother's rouge in her pocket. She wanted to wear it as a surprise for when you showed up, so she started putting it on when…"

She trailed off, clearly alarmed at the look on Inuyasha's face. He was too busy trying not to show just how fucking _surprised_ he was to really give much attention to her concern.

Kohana wasn't lying. Holy fucking shit she _wasn't lying!_

He had never told a single soul about giving Kikyo his mother's rouge. There was no way for Kohana to know that unless… _unless_ …

Inuyasha didn't know shit about the technicalities of reincarnation, but from what he had gleaned from eavesdropping around some temples over the years, it definitely wasn't a 'two-in-one' deal. Reincarnation wasn't two souls living side by side; it was more like a soul being given a fresh start—each new life more peaceful than the last, or so the monks believed.

If that was true, how was Kohana able to feel Kikyo so clearly? Did that mean that Kohana wasn't a reincarnation at all, but rather an unwilling host? Or could it be a different type of rebirth that Inuyasha didn't know anything about?

The fact remained that Kohana knew about his mother's rouge. It wasn't a knowledge he could explain away or blame on a lucky guess; no guess could ever be _that_ painfully specific.

As much as Inuyasha wanted to focus on the fact that Kohana could access Kikyo's memories, when he looked to Kohana and saw the resignation in her eyes he quickly realized how cruel that desire was, however fleeting it had been.

Kagome hadn't lied—this was _killing_ Kohana and Inuyasha finally understood why.

Kohana thought that telling him this would make him want to find a way to separate Kikyo's memories from her soul, to speak to Kikyo through Kohana and forget Kohana all together. She assumed this, and yet she was telling him anyway. The courage behind the gesture made Inuyasha's demon nature hum with unexpected pride—Kohana was loyal to her Alpha even when self-preservation pushed her to be otherwise.

The girl in question swallowed roughly. "Inuyasha…I re-lived the memory of that day. The day she died."

 _That_ made Inuyasha growl, this time in true anger. He remembered that day, too, and unlike Kikyo he was still alive and therefore forced to actively relive it.

"So, you saw how she attacked me?"

A heavy, tense silence filled the air between them for what felt like hours.

"No…I saw how _you_ attacked _her_."

* * *

Kohana felt Inuyasha's entire body bristle, like an animal preparing to bite. His heart was beginning to pound against her hands and the snarl in his throat increased until she could feel the vibrations inside her _own_ chest.

"Let me explain!" she cried. "It was you in _Kikyo's_ eyes, but _I_ know that it wasn't! Somehow, a demon shape-shifted to look exactly like you and attacked Kikyo in the meadow where you were supposed to meet. I don't know who it was, I don't know why they did it but I _know_ that you didn't hurt her! I don't know why, but I was myself enough that even in the memory I could feel something… _different_. It was like when Sesshomaru brought that huge demon thing; I could feel it coming before it showed up. I was able to feel Kikyo's attacker's energy and it wasn't you. But Kikyo was in so much shock that she didn't feel it the way I did— _that's_ why she pinned you to the Go-Shin-Boku. You…you were both t-tricked—"

Kohana tried so hard to keep it together but the memory of being sliced open and the immediate _agony_ —not just physical, but emotional—made her breath begin to come in painful gasps.

Inuyasha stared at her with wide eyes, so childlike and shocked that Kohana somehow found the strength to keep going because she _couldn't_ be weak. She needed to be strong; not just for Inuyasha's sake but for Kikyo's, too.

Kikyo was inside of Kohana right now, listening, watching and feeling every moment. She deserved to see Inuyasha's grief because they had _both_ been cheated of a happy life together and that was worse than the pain that threatened to swallow Kohana whole.

"—and I'm _sorry_. I wish I could bring her back to you, I wish…fuck I'm just so _angry_ at whoever did this to you guys, that ever since waking up you've been pushed into doing things and saying things you wouldn't normally do or say because of Kikyo's influence on me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it the moment I realized it for what it was."

Inuyasha's arms, which a second ago had been curled protectively around her, stiffened before slowly withdrawing. His golden eyes were hurt as he hastily removed himself from her bed and stared down at her for a moment or two.

Then, without a word, he dashed to the window and slid it open so roughly that the glass shattered into thick pieces. In a flash of red he was gone, and Kohana didn't hear any sound except for her own harsh breathing.

"Inuyasha!" she yelled, stumbling out of bed running to the window. She leaned as far as she could outside, scanning the trees for his silver hair.

"Inuyasha!"

But there was no sign of him, not even a rustle in the leaves to mark where he was hiding. Was he even _there_ anymore? Had he run back to the feudal era and left her behind?

Could she blame him if he did?

The sound of her door opening was lost on Kohana until Kagome's sleep-scratchy voice came from the doorway:

"What the _hell_?" the girl exclaimed, running to the perimeter of the broken glass and yanking Kohana out of it. The older girl yelped in pain and looked down only to be shocked at the sight of blood. She hadn't even felt the glass cutting her feet, too concerned with the abruptness of Inuyasha's exit. She definitely felt it now though, wincing as Kagome helped her to sit gingerly on the bed.

"I'll get the first aid kit," Kagome reassured her before fleeing the room. The moments in which she was gone gave Kohana plenty of time to think about the one thing she didn't _want_ to think about: Inuyasha and his very sudden departure.

Learning that Kikyo _didn't_ deceive him—that instead, they had been tricked into hating each other—couldn't have been an easy thing considering how _sure_ he was that she betrayed him. His reaction shouldn't surprise Kohana, shouldn't hurt her or make her feel abandoned…

…but it did.

The pain in his eyes as he pulled away from her, the cool detachment that slid over his gaze where it had been warm and vulnerable just moments ago…it tore at her because she had _ruined_ any chance for him seeing her as _just_ Kohana.

Now, he knew that Kikyo was inside of her, knew that Kikyo's feelings were affecting both of them in this way and fucking _dammit_ why couldn't she have kept her mouth shut? Was it a kindness to basically say: "Hey, so by the way, your dead lover and you were tricked into betraying each other and _oops_ did I forget to mention that I can access her memories?"

Or had she just made Inuyasha's life even harder by burdening him with the same knowledge that ate at Kohana a little bit more every day? Is that why she had done it—unconsciously and without thinking of the consequences? Was she so tired of feeling like a fraud that she finally cracked and let Inuyasha know the truth?

The worst part was that she hadn't even told him the _full_ truth. She hadn't told him that Kikyo was alive and aware inside of her, cursed with sharing a body that she couldn't use and being an uncomfortably intimate witness to Kohana's every thought and desire.

In withholding that information, Kohana had spared all three of them from being in even _more_ pain.

 _No_ , a small part of Kohana's mind corrected her, _not all three._

Kohana knew what her guilty conscience would say next, knew it and tried to distract herself by grabbing her pillow and screaming into it as loudly as she could.

But the words came anyway, undeterred and unrelenting.

 _Just you._


	19. Chapter 18: Tearing Down Walls

So...this keeps HAPPENING. I can't seem to stop writing this, and yeah...changing things is both terrifying and super fun, so yay for taking things in a OOC direction!

I'm nervous about how things are progressing, because realistic development is the most important thing to me when i'm changing canon. So feel free to give me some input and let me know how things are going in the story - i would love to get some insight as to how it's being received!

If you want more ASAP...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 18: Tearing Down Walls

* * *

Kagome took one look at Kohana's face and mercifully didn't ask any questions, instead helping Kohana bandage her feet in silence before sending her back to bed.

A few hours later, at a much more reasonable hour, Kagome woke Kohana up to let her know that she was leaving for her volunteer work at the local nursery school. She asked if Kohana wanted her to stay but didn't seem too surprised when Kohana shook her head.

After her sister left, Kohana laid awake in bed for another hour, listening to the birds making a racket outside of her broken window. She would have to sweep the glass up and start formulating a believable lie as to how it got destroyed in the first place; she had a feeling that "I fucked up my friendship with Inuyasha by telling him something horrible and so he broke my window in his rush to escape" wouldn't go over too well with Nobu.

Inuyasha still hadn't returned. She kept hoping to hear the soft tap of his feet against the stairs outside of her room or the whoosh of his robe flapping in the wind as he jumped up to her window, but hours passed and he didn't show.

Kohana was left alone to bear the cheerful—fucking _annoying_ —chatty birds and the pounding ache of her guilt.

It was over a light lunch of her favorite soup—Kagome had left a sealed container of it in the fridge—that Kohana came to the conclusion that she didn't regret telling Inuyasha the truth.

Did she regret causing him pain? Of course. But it was the right thing to do, not just for him but for Kikyo's sake as well.

"I suppose it'd be weird to start talking to you out loud, seeing as you already know the words I want to say before they come out of my mouth," Kohana mumbled to Kikyo around a mouthful of soup.

The chilling silence—both in the apartment and in her head—was answer enough: weird would be an understatement.

Kikyo said there was a barrier between their souls, that being sick had allowed it to weaken enough for Kikyo to make contact and bring Kohana into her memories. But now that Kohana was aware of it, was there a way to bring it down? Weaken it enough that Kikyo could at least _speak_?

The barrier wasn't a physical structure, after all. In that same vein, didn't that mean that Kohana could _control_ it? Mind over matter, right?

Kohana pushed her half-empty bowl of soup away, her stomach twisting as she concentrated. Surely having Kikyo's voice actively in her head couldn't be worse than the silent but just as prominent awareness that Kikyo was _watching_?

There had to be something that Kohana could do to make her body less of a prison for Kikyo. After all, reverting back to blissful ignorance was no longer an option; something that Kohana was more than a little bitter about and refused to feel _guilty_ about.

Kohana closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to look inward. Whatever the fuck _that_ meant. Mama was a fan of yoga and meditation and so she had a general idea of what "looking inward" was. But the execution of doing so?

Give Kohana a sword or a bow and she was good to go, no questions asked. Ask her to "seek inner awareness" and all of her competence went to shit.

But at the end of the day, it was just a _wall._

Walls could be climbed over or broken enough for something—or _someone_ , in this case—to slip through the cracks.

Kohana wasn't meditation or inner-peace savvy, but finding ways around or through obstacles was something she excelled at. It was why she was able to wipe the floor with every single one of Nobu's students—her mind never stopped working to find a way around things that stood in her way.

 _Come on Kikyo, I can't be the only one looking,_ Kohana thought as hard as she could into the void, her eyebrows scrunching together as she struggled to focus on a wall that she could only feel, not see.

She was just about to give up when Kikyo's voice slithered into the back of her mind, shocked but still sharp with grief.

 _I am here, Kohana._

Kohana instinctively looked for the source of the voice but found nothing but the empty corners of the kitchen. Her heart raced as she sat back in her chair, eyes wide and chest heaving with shocked gasps.

 _Well_ that _was easy,_ was all Kohana could think to reply.

Kikyo's reluctant amusement rang through Kohana's body like a church bell—full and resonating with authority.

 _It's as you said: a wall is only an obstacle if we allow it to be._

A pause, one in which Kohana had to blink rapidly to stop her body from responding to the sadness bleeding across the fractured wall and into Kohana's physical body. Fuck, it was so _weird_ to feel her eyes well up with tears and yet know that it wasn't _her_ grief she was feeling.

 _I never should have pulled you into my memories. The truth was unveiled, true, but at what cost?_ Kikyo whispered, her voice soft and full of regret. Kohana took a deep breath, feeling the sadness ebb slightly as she asserted herself over her body once more.

 _Yeah, but it's done, so whining about it isn't going to help,_ Kohana replied, getting up to wash her bowl out in the sink. She already felt better, lighter, knowing that Kikyo had the freedom to speak and make her opinions known. She couldn't give the dead priestess her body, but she could give her this.

 _You sound just like him, sometimes,_ Kikyo noted.

She didn't need to clarify who 'him' was; they both knew.

 _I'm not sure if that's a compliment—Inuyasha's sense of 'tact' is pretty nonexistent_ , Kohana replied, trying to lighten the heaviness of that comparison as best she could.

 _He's never had any reason to censor himself—why bother learning proper manners when even before you open your mouth, the whole world already thinks the worst of you?_

The dead priestess' words made Kohana pause. The soap bubbles on her hands began to disperse with soft popping sounds.

 _Is it really that bad for half-demons?_ she asked.

Kikyo's essence seemed to be inching away from her with every passing second. Kohana could feel the priestess' tiredness—crossing the barrier was more of a chore for Kikyo than it was for Kohana, it seemed—ebbing through her mind but not touching her body. Again, fucking _weird_ as far as sensations went.

 _Two years spent observing Inuyasha around humans taught me all I needed to know about how the world treated him. Distrust isn't inherent in sentient beings; it's_ taught _._

And with that, Kikyo's presence slithered back through the barrier and Kohana was alone in her mind once again.

She let out a harsh breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding, leaning her hands against the sink and closing her eyes to better calm herself. Speaking to Kikyo like that was tiring (especially on Kikyo's end) but not too shabby for their first attempt.

Kohana wasn't sure what could come of this but she wanted to try to make things easier. Besides, if she and Kikyo were going to be soul-roomies for the foreseeable future it _might_ be a good idea to get to know each other.

Kohana hobbled to the medicine cabinet to grab some numbing cream for her feet. Maybe after putting it on, she would go and run some fighting staff drills down in the dojo—fighting always helped her when she was stressed.

Yeah, that was a good idea.

* * *

An hour later she was dressed, her hands were wrapped and she was doing some warm up exercises. Her muscles ached but only for the first ten minutes or so. After that her body loosened up and she was able to get into her fighting headspace. There was no room for doubt, there, no room for half demons and dead priestesses and budding feelings that she refused to acknowledge.

But what did it matter, now, to admit them? She had effectively ruined any chance of _anything_ happening.

And then she remembered Kikyo, trapped behind a wall and forced to feel Kohana's disappointment and her longing for something that could never be explored.

"I'm sorry," Kohana gasped as she finished her last few punches, leaning her forehead against the punching bag. "I'm so _sorry_."

A faint ripple of comfort came from behind the wall but there were no words. Kohana angrily hit the bag a few more times, each hit more erratic and frustrated until she was yelling into the empty space, hitting and hitting and _hitting—_

With a sudden creak and a groan, the overhead chain broke and the heavy bag crashed to the floor. Thankfully no floorboards were damaged but Kohana still felt a wave of anger all the same.

Why had the chain broken? Nobu had installed it a month ago, the day before Kohana's birthday! It was brand fucking new and it was broken just like her window just like everything else—

" _Fucking_ fuck!" she screamed, kicking the bag for good measure.

"That's an understatement," Inuyasha said dryly from behind her. Kohana whirled around to see the half-demon leaning against the entrance doorframe, eyeing the fallen bag with barely concealed surprise. Seeing him made her both panic and rejoice, because he was _back_ but Kikyo was _watching_ and Kohana couldn't…she couldn't let herself _feel_ for him.

Kikyo's voice came in so strongly that Kohana flinched despite herself:

 _Don't let this situation teach you to fear your own emotions, like my duty as the Shikon Guardian did to me! You are_ not _my reincarnation; you're free to_ feel _—_

The priestess' strength gave out, like a candle flickering out in the face of a cold wind. Kohana couldn't even feel an echo of Kikyo anymore—the older girl must have extended herself beyond her limits to go beyond the wall twice in the span of a few hours.

What the hell did Kikyo mean, that Kohana _wasn't_ her reincarnation? Everyone and their mother seemed to think that she was; Kaede herself had confirmed it! Kikyo's soul was literally _inside Kohana's body_ …wasn't that the textbook definition of reincarnation?

Inuyasha was still staring at her, and Kohana forced her stance to stay casual, stretching her shoulders as she turned to pick up her training staff.

"Why are you here?" Kohana asked Inuyasha without looking at him, twirling her staff between her wrapped hands and basking in the familiarity of the motion. She was in her element, here, and it gave her the strength to speak without fear.

Inuyasha was in front of her in a flash of silver, his clawed hand grasping her staff with such strength that she was forced to brace herself against it. His golden eyes blazed, and with a firm twist he tossed the metal staff aside. He was stronger than her, faster than her, and for the first time Kohana began to fear that he had finally reached his breaking point where she was concerned.

Kohana stood her ground as he advanced, letting him invade her space because backing down was equal to showing weakness.

"What, you thought that what you said was enough to make me run and hide? I'm not that easy to get rid of, _Little Flower_ ," Inuyasha sneered.

Kohana felt her cheeks heat up at his casual use of Nobu's nickname.

"Congratulations, Nobu told you what my name means—he must have thought you were too slow to figure it out for yourself!" Kohana retorted, ducking down and landing a solid blow in his abdomen before he had a chance to react.

Inuyasha staggered backwards a step or two, his fangs flashing dangerously. His pause gave Kohana enough time to roll to the side and pick up her weapon. It wasn't going to save her should he try to kill her but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to go down fighting.

"Clearly it runs in the family," he accused before lunging forward. Kohana lifted her staff to meet him, batting his hand away. She attempted to land a kick on his knee but he darted away too quickly for her to be successful. His golden eyes were blazing and his lips curled over his teeth as he snarled.

Kohana realized that her teeth were bared, too. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" she demanded, lowering her staff slightly.

In lieu of answering Inuyasha took advantage of her distraction in order to grab her staff and use it to swing her against the wall. Her breath whooshed out of her chest until she was left gasping for air like a fish out of water, clutching her staff tightly as she staggered into an upward position.

Inuyasha aimed a punch at her shoulder. Luckily Kohana had gained enough of her breath by then to toss her staff aside and duck into a roll between his spread legs. This time she didn't bother trying to stand; she swung her foot across his ankles and let out a harsh laugh of triumph when the half demon gracelessly fell onto his back.

Without hesitation she threw herself on top of him and pinned his arms above his head, straining hard to keep him still and ignoring the sudden rush of arousal that tickled her lower abdomen when she caught a glimpse of the raw heat in Inuyasha's gaze. She had never seen him look that way before, not even in the glimpses of Kikyo's memories. Never had he looked so… _wild_.

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment, and then his face broke into a _grin._ In an instant he had reversed their positions, him hovering above Kohana and his hands like iron cuffs around her wrists. Her face was a million shades of red, she could feel it, and she didn't even want to _know_ what he _smelled_ from her.

"Let me _go_ ," Kohana fumed, bucking her hips and trying to escape. But Inuyasha's weight was enough to hold her secure. His long silver hair fell and made a sort of curtain around them. Inside that space it was just the two of them, Inuyasha and Kohana, both breathing hard—wait, why was _Inuyasha_ breathing hard? He was a half-demon; he couldn't be breathing that hard from a fight that had lasted less than a few minutes!

"Not until you understand!" Inuyasha replied harshly and his grip tightened until it was just shy of painful. Kohana swallowed hard, looking at his fangs as they gleamed above her, looking at his oddly regal features and willing herself not to meet his gaze but helpless to do anything _but_ look into his eyes.

"Understand _what_?" Kohana whispered brokenly, feeling the fight leave her body and her throat tighten with unhappiness. What more was there to understand? Kikyo wasn't fully gone, someone had tricked Inuyasha into hating Kikyo, and Kohana was unable to be fully separate from the woman Inuyasha had lost…what _else_ needed to be said?

"That you're fucking _wrong_ , that's what!" Inuyasha bellowed. Kohana blinked in surprise, confused and shocked and all of the above. That she was wrong about Kikyo, about the memory of the other demon attacking?

"Inuyasha, I told you, I wouldn't lie about what happened with Ki—"

The half-demon shook his head, the curtain of hair brushing against her bare shoulders and making her shiver.

"Not about _that_ , idiot—about how what I do and say is because you can feel Kikyo's soul!" he snapped.

Kohana's jaw dropped. Inuyasha was angry with her for _that_?She wanted to say something— _anything_ —but Inuyasha cut her off.

"Don't worry, I'm fucking _pissed_ that some asshole pit Kikyo and I against each other. It fucking _hurts_ because I loved her and in the end I didn't trust her like I should have. But I'm _also_ pissed that you looked me in the eye and told me that everything I was feeling was because of Kikyo. I told you before, didn't I? I _know_ you're not Kikyo, I fucking _know_ , so stop trying to blame what's happening between us on Kikyo because that's _bullshit_ and you know it!"

Kohana stared up at him, waiting for the guilt and the anger from Kikyo's soul but feeling nothing. All she could muster was pure, unadulterated shock. Inuyasha was staring down at her with such conviction in his eyes, such _earnestness_.

"Inuyasha…Kikyo is _inside_ of me. _I_ can't even be sure that my feelings are my own, so how can you?" she asked.

Inuyasha smirked before leaning down even closer. Kohana hurriedly closed her eyes to escape just how much his self-satisfied smirk affected her. That turned out to be a mistake, because it forced her to focus on how freaking _good_ he smelled and how warm he was against her body. Oh god oh god oh god—

"I can _see_ the difference. I can smell it… _feel_ it," Inuyasha explained. He paused, and his next words were softer, less sure.

"No one's ever looked at me like you do."

Kohana opened her eyes, then, and found Inuyasha looking straight at her, his gaze fierce and angry but also soft. They stared at each other for several long moments, and then Inuyasha leaned down. For a second she wondered if he was going to kiss her, and was almost relieved when he rubbed their noses together instead.

Rubbing noses was fine, right? It was what she and Nobu did, what she and Shippo did—it was safe territory, innocent even.

With Nobu and Shippo, their bodies remained at a distance while their noses gently brushed. It was like a quick hug, or a gentle pat on the back, and never lingered for too long.

Rubbing noses with Inuyasha was _nothing_ like that.

Instead of the quick, almost careless movements Kohana was used to, this was… _more_. His nose was gently and purposefully brushing against hers and Kohana almost leaned up to kiss him, just to satisfy the sudden _craving_ to know exactly how his mouth would taste. But kissing him would change the moment into something else, something she definitely wasn't ready for. It would complicate the simplicity of their foreheads and noses touching and their breaths mingling together.

The sound of Kagome heaving her bike over the last shrine step with a loud groan burst into their moment, making both of them flinch.

Inuyasha hastily removed himself and stood, his cheeks bright pink as he looked anywhere but at her. Kohana sat up and ran her hands through her hair, coughing loudly to try and ease the awkwardness. She was just about to get to her feet when a clawed hand appeared before her.

"C'mon, let's go say goodbye to your stupid sister before heading back to the village," Inuyasha declared. His eyes were alight with a mixture of relief and disappointment, making Kohana wonder what would have happened if Kagome hadn't made her entrance when she did.

Kohana snorted. "I'd be careful about calling her 'stupid', stupid. I'm not going to lift a finger in your defense if she finds out," she promised, unable to keep herself from grinning as she reached up to take his hand.

She was so caught up in Inuyasha's grumblings about Kagome and her weird ways that she didn't feel the tiny spark of sad resignation radiating from Kikyo's side of the wall.


	20. Chapter 19: Demon Perspective

Welp. Stuff happens in this chapter that I didnt expect. Trust me when I say that I thought long and hard (insert penis joke here as needed) about whether to take this step...but every other way I tried to write it seemed off and kind of pushing aside the elephant in the room.

In short, don't worry - Inuyasha has not forgotten or stopped caring about Kikyo! That drama hasn't even BEGUN really, not in the way I have planned, so buckle up where that storyline is concerned. It's a heart-breaker.

I hope y'all enjoy and if you like it/want to see more...

 _ **PLEASE REVIEW!**_

* * *

Chapter 19: Demon Perspective

* * *

They didn't end up going back to the village that day. Kagome took one look at Kohana's bandaged feet and flat-out refused even the _suggestion_ of them leaving after just one day. Inuyasha rose to the challenge as he always did, thus gifting Kohana with the joy of watching him try to out-stubborn Kagome for the better part of an hour before excusing herself to go take a shower.

Kagome refused to tell Kohana anything but the older girl was _positive_ that her sister and Inuyasha had bonded while she slept through her fever.

Kagome's vicious, almost-possessive aggression had mellowed into a mild exasperation and wary amusement. Inuyasha still snarled and snapped but didn't dance around Kagome like she was a ticking time bomb, which was basically the equivalent of him giving a shiny badge of approval.

The next morning, after saying goodbye to Kagome and leaving a note for the rest of the family, Kohana followed Inuyasha through the well.

Brought back to the present by the sound of a rushing stream—it marked the edge of the village boundaries—Kohana stretched her arms above her head as she and Inuyasha exited the last cluster of trees. As much as she loved modern technology and transport, being in nature satisfied her in a way that she couldn't explain. The part of her childhood she could remember was filled with memories of begging Kagome to play as warrior princesses in the forest near the Shrine. Her adopted sister preferred playing house and doctor, but she had compromised by letting Kohana "rescue" her from the demons hiding in the branches of the trees.

Kohana felt Kikyo slip through the cracks of the barrier, her thoughts and feelings softly swirling in the back of Kohana's mind. It was still a foreign feeling but Kikyo made an effort to be gentle and didn't project as much—probably conserving energy while sparing them both the confusion of feeling two emotional perspectives in one body.

Kikyo knew this forest like the back of her hand.

The sun's position in the sky told her that it was just after noon. A patch of herbs hidden under a bush (a sight Kohana had been content to ignore) became thistle-weed, which was good for relieving coughs. When properly prepared, the reddish-blue moss on the rocks bordering the stream made particularly good adhesive for plasters of broken arm bones. A couple of broken branches on a young sapling told her that a particularly active male deer had passed through the area recently.

The confidence in the knowledge was absolute in Kikyo's mind and so it went unchallenged in Kohana's awareness as well.

"Kohana?" Inuyasha's raised voice broke through the haze of input, making her jump and turn her head to look at him. His gaze held hers for one long moment before shifting to her arm, and following his line of sight made Kohana realize that she had reached out to touch the splintered tree branches. Kikyo's knowledge continued to trickle in, not being pushed but simply flowing in and out of her mind like a needle weaving through fabric.

Kikyo recognized the shock in Inuyasha's eyes more clearly than Kohana did.

"You're feeling her memories?" he asked quietly, and both Kikyo and Kagome froze at the implication. Kikyo was more curious than fearful, which was great for _her_ but _Kohana_ was freaking the fuck out because how could Inuyasha _tell_?

 _He's much more observant than either of us give him credit for,_ Kikyo whispered.

"How can you tell?" Kohana asked aloud, hurriedly dropping her hand and fiddling with her belt that held her new daggers. The smoothness of the flexible leather against her fingers calmed her slightly.

Inuyasha's brow furrowed pensively. Without any spoken signal passing between them, the two began walking once more. Kohana looked away from his profile because the sun was shining brightly behind him and accented his lightly tanned skin as well as all the varying shades of gold in his eyes. The distinctly masculine curve of his jawline made Kohana's lips part despite her efforts to remain unaffected—

 _Sorry,_ Kohana muttered to Kikyo, knowing that the girl could feel how contrite she was without her having to speak the words. Kikyo was oddly silent in response to the blatant objectification; her focus remained on Inuyasha's words.

"You suddenly know the forest like someone who's lived here their entire life. Before, you were following me; now, you're leading. I also called your name and you didn't respond the first time. It was like…"

He paused, swallowing hard and trying very hard to be unaffected. But Kohana could see the bitterness in his averted eyes that he failed to conceal.

"It was like I accidentally said the wrong name."

Inuyasha's eyes found hers, then, and in that moment she saw the concern in them as acutely as Kikyo did.

But the concern wasn't directed at both of them.

Kohana managed to smile weakly at the half-demon before turning and marching towards the village. Inuyasha called for her to wait up, and she ignored him, clutching her arms around her stomach and taking deep breaths.

 _Kikyo, I'm so sorry, he doesn't know you're still here!_

Kikyo's tears welled up in Kohana's eyes and for a moment Kohana was tempted to give Kikyo her body. Just to make this pain _stop._

Inuyasha's hand wrapped tightly around her upper arm and Kohana's body came to an abrupt halt.

"Oi, you can't just walk away from me like that!" he growled.

Kohana closed her eyes to ward the tears away, pressing her lips tightly together and slowly counting to ten. Once she had done that she gave herself permission to turn and look up at him. The half-demon was scowling but his ears were slightly lowered—he was trying to show that he cared in the only way he knew how, which was yelling and hovering like a mother hen.

 _I don't blame you._ Either _of you_ , Kikyo said quietly, with a tone of finality that made Kohana's skin crawl. The priestess' sadness rose up in Kohana's chest like a wave at high tide but no matter how high it went the waters didn't consume her.

At Kikyo's silent urging Kohana lifted her hand up and slowly traced the smooth skin of Inuyasha's cheek.

Kikyo marveled in the texture, memorizing the feel of it. Kohana felt like an intruder as she felt Kikyo's affection for the half-demon wash over her, felt the priestess focusing on what mattered: Inuyasha was alive. He had been tricked, just as she had, but none of that mattered now because he was still _alive_.

Kohana admired Kikyo for that. The selflessness reminded her of Kagome—both girls were so _good_. Her sister was too soft, sometimes, stubbornly determined to be kind even when it hurt. Kohana often felt like a rusty spoon in comparison; rusted over and ragged where Kagome was polished and smooth.

Kohana didn't know what came over her—she was trying her best to give Kikyo as much control as possible to allow the priestess to touch the person she loved—but something inside of her shifted and her body was hers again, allowing her to curve her thumb slightly downward so it traced his lower lip. It lasted only for a moment but the warmth of his mouth sent a jarringly sharp pulse of desire through her all the same.

The half-demon went very still at that, not giving any sign of what he felt beyond a slight intake of breath. Kikyo's energy was shifting; still full of grief but now containing something that was oddly expectant. Like she knew what was coming and was waiting for Kohana to catch on.

The air between Kohana and Inuyasha was almost painfully tense. When Kikyo had been in control the silence was mournful, almost painfully tender. But the moment she touched his lip everything changed. Now, it took all of Kohana's effort to resist sliding her hands between the layers of his robe and working on memorizing the dips and curves of his chest.

Kohana's next words came out in a hoarse whisper:

"She loved you _so much_ , Inuyasha. Enough to keep you alive even when she thought you had betrayed her, enough for me to channel her magic and unseal you. I can _feel_ it. The feeling's not mine but I'm still forced to experience it, more and more every day, and so in a way Kikyo isn't really gone. So can we please just stop pretending and admit that _nothing_ will happen between us?"

Kohana hadn't finished speaking when Inuyasha stepped forward. The last word shifted into a confused lilt as Inuyasha raised his hands up to cup both sides of her face. She barely had time to register how comforting his touch was before he leaned down and kissed her.

The sensation didn't match any of Kikyo's memories. The half-demon had kissed the priestess with such hesitation, such worried care, like he was afraid that if he touched her too carelessly he would break her.

This kiss wasn't gentle or soft; it claimed and it _burned_.

Kohana's mind whirled in shock even as her body melted into the kiss and her hands tangled in his robe to pull him even closer. Without thinking she reached up to run her fingers through his surprisingly soft hair, yanking harder than she normally would in order to tilt his head and deepen the kiss.

Inuyasha let out a sharp grunt and for moment Kohana was afraid she had hurt him. But when she pulled back she caught a glimpse of his eyes and her knees went a little weak because _shit_ , he _liked_ that.

He kissed her again, harder than before. One of his hands slid down to press tightly against her lower back while the other traced a firm path along the curve of her side. Kohana's entire body shuddered at his touch because holy _shit_ if this was what good sexual chemistry felt like, why did anyone ever _stop_ kissing?

Inuyasha pulled away with what seemed like considerable effort, his eyes boring into hers so intensely that Kohana cheeks flared with heat.

"Don't ask me to lie," he growled before taking a measured step back. Without waiting for her reply he turned and leapt into the trees in the direction of the village.

In less than three seconds it was as if he had never been there.

* * *

The first time Inuyasha caught Kaede making her way alone to the edge of the village reach with a modest collection of wildflowers in her hands, he ignored it—why should he care what the old hag did with her time? That was one day after he was awakened from his cursed sleep.

The second time, three days later, he said fuck it and followed her from a safe distance, farther than he would follow any normal human. Sure, she was a hag, but her spiritual barriers still _hurt_ and he didn't want to face the consequences of him stalking her. In the end, where his curiosity led him was worse than being hit with a reprimanding jolt of spiritual energy.

Kaede had unknowingly shown him where Kikyo was buried.

He didn't dare approach it but his enhanced demon sight allowed him to see the details even from a great distance. The gravesite was situated on a gentle slope that led up to the tree line, a place that was sheltered enough to offer protection from floods and storms but exposed enough to properly overlook the entire village. A simple stone plaque was hammered into the ground at the head of the plot, the only adornment being a simple engraving of Kikyo's name.

At the time, Inuyasha still believed that Kikyo had betrayed him, and as such he wanted to break that tombstone apart with his bare hands. He wanted to disturb the earth and spit in it, wanted to kill some innocent animal and drip the blood onto the ground where Kikyo's body lay, just to prove to her that he was still alive and kicking despite her attempt to curse him for eternity.

But he didn't, just as he didn't touch a stupid hair on that stupid reincarnation's head despite his threats and intimidation attempts, because it was like the girl said: he was still in love with Kikyo. It made him angrier than he could ever remember being, because unlike cuts and bruises and broken bones (which for him mended within hours) this ache felt like an open wound that he couldn't see. Couldn't bandage, couldn't stitch up…it just _was_.

The death of his mother, as horrible and lingering as it was, had had an element of relief to it. She was gone and that would stay with him for as long as he drew breath, but at least she wasn't suffering anymore; she could finally rest without coughing up blood and crying out for people that had been dead for years.

Kikyo's death was nothing like that, and therefore it was impossible to shake. He knew that he would one day visit her final resting place, but had no idea when that would come to pass. _Not for a long fucking time_ , he reasoned before putting it safely out of his mind.

Three weeks later, he found himself there, staring down at the stone marker with his lips still burning from Kohana's kiss and his body trembling with the intensity of his arousal.

A fresh bouquet of flowers rested at the base of the marker—good, that meant that Kaede wouldn't be showing up for a few days at least—and the sweet, grassy scent of them filled him like a warm cup of tea in wintertime. Kikyo had always smelled of late summer flowers; weathered by the relentless summer sun and hinting at the cold that fall would bring.

Inuyasha wasn't sure why he had come. In his haste to escape he hadn't thought of where to go, simply focusing on getting far away from Kohana and her harsh breathing and the sensual musk that had invaded her normal scent. He had never been that close to losing control with a female, not even with the half wolf-demon that he met several decades before meeting Kikyo.

"I know that you're not really here," he muttered, taking a few steps closer and folding his legs under him to sit at the base of the grave plot. "Honestly, I'm fucking crazy for even coming after what just happened, but I…"

Inuyasha trailed off, staring at Kikyo's name, feeling his body calm as the minutes passed. The breeze blew around him, rustling the leaves of the nearby trees and whispering through his long hair. Kikyo's soul wasn't there, he knew, but the place still felt like her. Smelled like her, even. Not like her warm human skin but the floral soap she used and the fields she so often traversed on her search for medicinal herbs.

"I wonder if you'd be pissed at me for what I just did. I'm a little pissed _for_ ya, don't worry, but even with all that I'd do it again. I was kissing _her_ , Kikyo, not you. It felt… _more_. I don't know if it's a good thing, because whenever I'm with her, I feel more dangerous and more safe than I've ever felt—whatever the fuck _that_ means."

Silence was the only response he got, but in a way it was what he needed. Kikyo's smell was there and with her name staring at him from worn stone it almost felt like she was sitting beside him again.

During the warmer months, they had spent hours sitting on the hillside by the village's main stream, sometimes speaking and other times silently appreciating the view and the company. In those moments, neither of them was bound by duty or species. They could choose to speak or to fight or to just sit and _be_.

Inuyasha missed those times more than anything else where Kikyo was concerned. It was one of the many differences between Kikyo and her reincarnation. Unlike Kikyo, who was a seemingly calm river with a powerful current hiding below the surface, Kohana was the ocean at high tide, always pushing and observing and shifting.

"All I wanted was for you to be free," Inuyasha murmured, staring at the lines of Kikyo's name. If he closed his eyes he could almost feel the gently expectant look she always gave when he got lost in darker thoughts.

"It's the reason I said I would become human, ya know," he continued. "I never wanted it for myself; I _like_ being strong, I _like_ being able to do things normal humans can't. No…I wanted to be human so you could live as a normal woman, even if it meant giving up everything else."

Inuyasha bowed his head, staring at the grass covering where her ashes lay, wishing for just a moment that she could respond to him. That he could look into her gentle brown eyes and see her smile at him one last time.

"I don't think I'll ever stop missing you," he whispered to the breeze, and saying the words out loud both relieved him and increased his burden.

How could he feel so much—and so _differently_ —for two separate people? How was it possible to know one woman for two years, the other for only a month, and yet feel an intense longing for both of them?

Kohana tried to blame it on being Kikyo's reincarnation, tried to explain away their quick, intense connection on the fact that Kikyo's soul was inside but Inuyasha wasn't buying it. Kohana didn't understand demon senses, not like trained priestesses did, and so she couldn't understand that when he said he could feel the difference between her and Kikyo, it went beyond scent or superficial features.

Inuyasha could pick out Kohana in a crowd of millions while blindfolded and not just because of how she smelled. The sound of her voice, the way the air moved when she walked, the distribution of her weight when she prepared to fight...all pointed to Kohana in a way that couldn't be compared to Kikyo no matter what Kaede or the presence of the Shikon Jewel in the girl's body suggested.

Kikyo had loved him, but Kohana was _pack_.

The simplicity of demon perspective made him frown. Inuyasha had spent so long—for him it was just over a month ago, but for the rest of the world it was fifty years—resisting the more subtle workings of his demon instincts to make Kikyo feel more comfortable letting him into her life, and so it felt strange to let his demon side make itself known in such a way.

But it also felt _right_.

Inuyasha didn't say any more; he didn't need to. Instead, he sat beside the stone marker, looking down at the village and listening to the sounds of the forest behind him until the sun began to set.

Before he left, the half-demon stared down at the marker for a moment longer. Slowly, he reached out and traced the lines of Kikyo's name with a single finger. Once he was done, he stood, turned and made his way to Kaede's hut.

He didn't look back.


End file.
